Mercenaries don't die
by Morguemama
Summary: Kero and Eldan thought their days of adventuring were done. Then Kero's neices show up and they begin a new type of adventure. COMPLETE!
1. Queen of the Castle

Mercenaries Don't Die…

Disclaimer: I am not Mercedes Lackey nor do I own any of her characters.

I apologize for any misspelling of ML places, people or terminology. I'm away at college and don't have any of my books with me, so I can't look it up. Please R&R, no flames. Thanks!

Chapter 1

            _Life is good_, Kero mused as she stretched luxuriously amid piles of warm, soft blankets, avoiding Eldan's sprawled limbs with practiced ease. _Warm blankets, warm man, and warm food if I want it. Sure beats a tent in a winter campaign. Not that I have to worry about ending up in a winter campaign anymore. Nope. Life is good._ She rolled her head on her pillow and stared out the window of the tower suite she shared with Eldan to observe the whiteout conditions howling outside and snuggled further under the blankets. Her movements disturbed Eldan, who rolled over with a grumble and wrapped himself around her.

            "Classes back on today?" His voice was rough with sleep and slightly slurred.

            Kero angled her head towards the door where the faint shrieks of jubilant trainees were leaking through.

            "Nope."

            "Good." Eldan's voice dropped off at the end of the word as he drifted back towards sleep.

            _Not a bad idea_, Kero thought and was letting herself drift back to sleep when someone pounding at the door to their suite rudely awakened her. Unfortunately, her reflexes also awoke with her and she automatically reached for her sword with one hand while swinging with the fist of her other hand at her "assailant". Eldan grunted and rolled back over so his back was to her.

            "Answer the door." The multiple layers of blankets pulled over his head muffled his voice. Kero made a face at his back before pulling back the blankets covering her legs, making sure to yank the covers off Eldan's feet while she was it. His muffled curse as the cold air met his toes alleviated some of her grumpiness, but it quickly returned with her own toes met the freezing stones of the floor. She hissed and hobbled towards the living area where she had left her slippers the night before and slipped them on with a sigh of relief. Then she wandered over to the door, scratching her head and yawning as the early morning visitor pounded again at the planks.

            "What?!"

            Kero yanked the door open and was almost knocked in the face as the snow-drenched fellow in whites raised his hand to pound at the door again. Her quick reflexes saved her and she dodged before her nose could be broken. The poor man blinked at her for a moment, and then awareness trickled back into his eyes.

            "Kerowyn shena Talesedrine?"

            "Yes, what is it?"

            "Herald-Captain Kerowyn?"

            "Yes, for love of the Goddess, what is it?!"

            "Thank you, God, we made it! Take them!" With that, the fellow turned and fairly sprinted back down the tower stairs.

            "Take what, you loon?!"

            "Ahem." The small voice dragged Kero's attention downward towards a small figure that was a snow covered as the Herald was. "You're taking us."

            "Who are you?"

            A small hand emerged from the cloak and pushed back a hood revealing a blond head and stunningly familiar aquamarine eyes.

            "Your nieces."

            Kero stepped back and stared at the rest of the equally small figures standing, or in one case, lying, on her cold, drafty stone landing. There were five in all. All blonde haired and blue eyed. All female. All under the age of seven.

            "Oh no. This is not happening."

            "It sure is."

            "Whom do you belong to? My brother's wife's kids are all older than you."

            "No kidding. Can we come in? It's cold out here."

            The little girl who appeared to be the oldest and the leader walked into the suite with waiting for permission, followed by the other little girls.

            "Don't forget the baby."

            "Right. Don't forget the baby."

            Kero peered into the basket sitting on her landing and stared at the bundle of blankets that was emitting a squeak every once in awhile. Then it sneezed and Kero jumped back like she'd been stung.

            "Are you going to stand out there forever? Pick her up and get inside!"

            "Pick her up and get her inside!" Kero mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "Right. Little demented brat. We'll see who's queen of this castle." With that, Kero gathered her courage, scooped up the basket and stepped back into the suite.


	2. Female Outcast

Thanks for the good reviews, people!  They are greatly appreciated. I'll be sure to keep your suggestions in mind. I was just re-reading it and spotted sooooo many typos. Guess I'll have to go back and edit those. That's what I get for typing after I get off work.

Disclaimer: I am not Mercedes Lackey, nor do I own any of her characters.

On with the tale!

Chapter 2

            The girls quickly planted themselves on the furry rug in front of the banked fire and began divesting themselves of their sodden garments as Kero butted the door closed with a hip. Her hands were occupied with the basket, which had begun whining and whimpering in a way that was truly alarming, especially when the whines were interjected with sneezes.

            "Alright. Baby sneezing. That can't be good. See, this is easy. I can do this. Right. Eldan!"

            Kero gently placed the basket on the rug next to the little girls who had managed to strip down to their shifts, which were also soaked through. The oldest was helping the toddler, who seemed to be falling asleep sitting up. _Buck up, Kero-girl. You've played mama to a bunch of mercenaries; you can handle this._ She drew a mental breath and squared her shoulders, then quickly grabbed some logs from the metal-strapped wooden box next to the hearth and began to build up the fire. Within minutes it was crackling merrily and Eldan still had not made an appearance.

            "Eldan, get your ar- I mean, bum out here!"

            "What?"

            Eldan stumbled into the room, rubbing at a pillow-creased face that was in dire need of a shave. He was still as handsome as ever, in Kero's eyes, even if his gray streaks were a little wider and there were more laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. His shoulders were still broad and strong enough to carry her when her old knees started acting up in bad weather and students were not around to see, and his hips were narrow enough to make certain aging mercenaries begin to get jealous and devote some more time during the day to running a few extra laps around Companion's Field. He stumbled and bit back an oath as his breeches-covered shin nailed the low table a few feet from the hearth with a resounding thud.

            The sound brought Kero back from her musings and she quickly turned back to the basket, which had by now worked itself into a full-blown tantrum. Eldan froze.

            "Kero."

            "Yes."

            "Is that basket crying?"

            "Yes."

            "Who are they?"

            Kero glanced back over at the little girls. By now, the toddler had given up the fight against sleep and lay curled into a small ball on the rug, thumb stuck firmly in a delicate mouth and wet, blonde curls drying in the heat from the fire. As she watched all the girls but the oldest seemed to be falling asleep where they sat. She was glaring furiously at Eldan, who was now fully awake and functioning.

            "Well, who are you?" she demanded indignantly.

            "I asked first, munchkin."

            "I am not a munchkin!" She drew herself up to her full three and a half feet and planted herself nose to stomach with Eldan. "You wanna make something of it?"

            Eldan crossed his arms over his chest. "You are definitely related to Kero." He turned to Kero. "I feel sorry for your parents if you were like this when you were little."

            Kero smiled absently as she extracted a bundle of blankets from the basket and began delicately delving through them for the baby. "Worse. I stole my brother's toy weapons."

            He turned back to the little girl. "No weapons for you."

            She merely raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, mimicking Eldan. Upon closer inspection, Eldan realized that she did not quite seem to be the exact copy of Kero that he thought she was. Her features, while still far from fully formed, promised a delicate beauty that belied her thorny nature and her pert little nose turned up at the end, allowing her to stick her it in the air with ease. White-blond curls tumbled over her shoulders and down her back and were currently knotted into a snarled mess with leaves and twigs sticking out here and there. She was also frightfully skinny. Eldan decided to distract himself until he could do something about it.

            "Nice hair."

            "Nice stripes."

            His hand rose defensively to his hair before he could stop it and the little girl smirked in victory over her point.

            "Are you going to get done staring at me anytime soon?"

            "Depends."

            "On what?"

            "Your name and the names over everyone else here under four feet tall and the reason you are here."

            She pondered it for a second, then decided that it could not hurt for them to know their names. They would find out soon anyway.

            "Fine. I'm Acacia. They are Ianthe, Damini and Caia."

            "That's only four."

            "What?"

            The little girl looked over, startled at the sound of Kero's voice intruding in her contest of wills with Eldan. Kero looked up as she pulled off the last blanket to reveal a baby that could not be more than a few weeks old. Like her sisters, the baby was tiny, a delicate bundle of limbs that seemed almost bird-like in their fragileness. Her appearance instilled an instinctual fear in Kero, and she reflexively gathered the baby up against her and dragged a soft blanket over from where it was carelessly piled on the floor and wrapped it around them both, hoping to instill some warmth in the shivering baby. Then she froze. _Whoa. Where did that come from?_ She looked over at Acacia before she could alarm herself any more than she already had.

            "You only gave us four names. There are five of you."

            "I only know four. She doesn't have a name yet." Acacia gestured at the baby, whose wails had quieted back to whimpers. Her sneezes, however, had escalated into coughs.

            "Alright." Eldan dragged a hand through his hair and winced as his fingers met with tangles of his own. "Let's get the story. Who are your parents?"         

            "Roderick and Aaralyn."

            "How are they related to Kero, since it is very obvious you are related to her."

            "I told you, we are Kero's nieces. Our mother is the daughter of Dierdre."

            Kero felt her face forming a confused expression. "Why would your mother send you here? Everyone on that side of the family is terrified of me."

            Acacia smirked, an expression of self-deprecation. "You cannot tell me you do not remember what it was like to live there? We are girls. They only want boys. They already have a boy, but they want another. Heir and a spare? Mother and Father got frustrated when the latest was a girl. They decided they should concentrate all their time and energy on our brother. So…"

            "So they sent you to family female outcast," Eldan murmured. "Lovely."


	3. Panic Attack

Thanks for the reviews, people! The reason why my chapters are so short is because I'm on duty 24 hours a day until June 7, when I go to being on duty only a few days a week. I'm trying to write whenever I have time now, instead of after work. Whenever I got tired was when I would stop a chapter. Anyhoo, keep up with the input, I really appreciate it. I'm greatly enjoying all of your stories as well.

Disclaimer: I am not Mercedes Lackey nor do I own any of her characters.

Chapter 3

            "Oh my…"

            Talia's voice trailed off as she took in the scene in Kero and Eldan's suite. There was a pile of small bodies in front of the fire. Each little girl appeared to be dressed in one of Kero's old shirts and was sound asleep, oblivious to the healer who was gently examining all of them. Kero, Talia noticed, was still in her nightclothes, an over-large shirt that sported a torn hem, and her face seemed to have been frozen in an expression of panic. A small cough drew her attention to Eldan, who was sitting in an old rocker that had traveled with him from his boyhood home to the Collegium to his current room. The baby snuggled into the crook of his arm tugged at her heartstrings.

            "Kero, where did these children come from?"

            "Rethwellen."

            "Why are they in Valdemar?"

            "Long story. I need your help."

            Talia shook her head to clear it of bemusement and forced herself to concentrate on Kero. _Dirk is never going to believe this!_ "Sure, what?"

            "Eldan and I seem to be having a slight problem with space."

            Talia took in the room around her. Cramped was the best way to describe it. The suite consisted of two rooms, the bedroom and living area. Against the far wall of the living area, Kero's jewelry carving workshop took up much of the space with a long table and several half-finished projects. Bookcases lined the wall across from the hearth, to the left of Kero's workshop, filled with books on strategy, tactics and Eldan's rock collection. The low table in front of the hearth was covered in pieces of weaponry and armor in various stages of being cleaned and an open volume of poetry. The padded bench behind the low table was clear of debris except for the board game Kero and Eldan had been playing the night before to while away the hours. What had been on the bench before the board game now resided under the bench. The floor was liberally covered in rugs, cushions and blankets. Talia was sure the bedroom was in much the same state. "Kero, your mastery of understatement astounds me more every day."

            The panicked expression on Kero's face dissolved for a moment as she regarded Talia with a disgruntled look.

            "Alright, so you and Eldan need new rooms. I can take care of that. What else?"

            "I need you to brainwash them."

            "Kero!"

            "Please, Talia, just this once? I'm begging you here!"

            "No! I will not 'brainwash' any poor, innocent child!"

            "It isn't so hard. Just concentrate a little and bam!" Kero snapped her fingers. "They do everything Eldan and I tell them to."

            "It doesn't work like that, Kero. I never thought that I would ever say this to you, but calm down." Talia reached out with her mind, hoping to soothe Kero into thinking rationally.

            "That's easy for you to say! You were created to deal with children! I've never even touched a baby before today, much less taken full custody of one! A horse!"

            "What?" Talia was taken aback by Kero's abrupt change of subject.

            "I'll get Elspeth to turn the children into horses! That's it! I can take care of a horse."

            "Kero. No magic or Gift."

            "None?"

            "No."

            Kero rubbed her hands over her face and growled a curse softly under her breath. Inwardly, Talia was astounded. This was the first time she had ever seen Kero like this. Usually Kero was the one calming them all down and solving problems rationally and logically.

            "Look, Kero, child-rearing has little tricks to it. You already know most of them from running a mercenary company. Just establish a routine for them and give them lots of love. The rest will take care of itself."

            Kero felt her panic receding, undoubtedly in thanks to Talia putting some more effort into the empathy. She took a deep breath and took herself in hand for the second time this morning. "Right. Establish a routine. Got it. Reveille, chow, exercise, chow, cleaning, chow, bath, bed. Same as with the Bolts. We can do this."

            Talia smiled. _This is going to be interesting._ "There you go. Now, go deal with the healer. I'll find you some new rooms and gather up some people to help you move."

            Kero lay facedown on the bed and groaned.

            "That was the worst, most horrible move I've ever had, and I've had some hair-raisers. It was even worse than moving the Bolts to Valdemar."

            Eldan perched on the edge of the bed and pulled a boot off. "It wasn't that bad. The girls slept through most of it and Damini seemed content to ride Alberich's shoulders wherever he went. I think she found herself a friend."

            Kero snorted. "That's all we need. A toddler that can swear in Karsite."

            "He didn't teach her too many Karsite swear words. I think she learned some more in other languages from you today. You need to start watching that now. With as many diplomats as there are running around here, someone is bound to figure out what that munchkin is saying."

            "Ya know, there are reasons— " Kero broke off as she heard giggling from their new living area. "That doesn't sound good." She dragged herself off the bed and stealthily crept towards the door and cracked it open. "Eldan."

            "What?"

            "Is Ianthe playing with fireballs?"

            "What?!"

            Kero scooted away from the door and Eldan took her place, pushing his face against the crack Kero had opened the door to, then swore.

            "Just our luck. We have a fire starter."

            "Stop her!"

            "Oh no. You are her aunt, you are the mercenary, you stop her."

            "You're the most experienced with stuff like this."

            "You're the granddaughter of a mage and you have worked with many other mages. You deal with this."

            Kero growled once again, then slowly drew the door open. She forced herself to walk slowly and calmly toward the huddled little girls who were giggling again as Ianthe forced the fireballs to assume the shapes of butterflies and flutter around the room. One passed dangerously close to Kero as it fluttered up the to the ceiling then dove back down again, skimming along the floor. It fluttered up to land on Ianthe's outstretched finger. The little girl was as diminutive as her sisters, but there the resemblance pretty much ended. Her hair was a darker blond and her eyes were a striking green instead of blue. In fact, she was almost an exact copy of her grandmother, Kethryveris, which led Kero to wonder if fire starting was not just one sign of a Mage Gift. She coughed softly to get the girls' attention when she was standing behind Ianthe.

            As one, they all looked up. That was when all hell broke loose. Ianthe lost control of her fire butterflies. As if they had been directed, they all homed in on the other little girls, who jumped up and started running, shrieking in fear. Kero grabbed a pan from her pile of traveling gear and nailed the butterfly following Damini as she toddled as quickly as her little legs would carry her, screaming and crying in fear. The butterfly vanished with a _womp!_ and a curl of smoke. Then Kero took off after the second butterfly while trying to pinpoint where the others were. Eldan came running into the room and grabbed up a bucket of cleaning water that had been sitting on the floor and managed to hit another butterfly that had been chasing Acacia and Kero managed to pound another, which had been chasing Caia, out of existence. When no more butterflies were streaking around the room, they all stopped or collapsed where they stood, breathing heavily. Then Eldan sniffed the air.

            "Do you smell something burning?"

            Kero sniffed the air and identified the unmistakable aroma of burning hair. She darted glances around the room to see whose hair was burning, then froze when she felt an intensifying heat on her own back.

            "Eldan."

            "What?"

            "I think I have a problem." She turned her back to him. "Mind helping here?"

            Eldan swore vigorously as he grabbed up a blanket and pushed her to the ground, trying to smother the butterfly that had been taking a breather of its own in Kero's hair. This butterfly, however, appeared to be more stubborn and caught the blanket on fire. Eldan swore again and threw the blanket into the hearth as Kero rolled on the ground, trying to smother the fire between her leathers and the stone floor. The girls continued shrieking, but Acacia, at least, remained partially in control, running from the room to grab another bucket of water from the bathing room down the hall. She came running back as fast as she could hauling the heavy bucket and dumped it over Kero as she rolled back over. The flames did not even pause, charring her leathers and devouring her braid.

            "Cut it off!" she screamed. "Cut off the braid!"

            Eldan did not hesitate, pulling a dagger and slicing through the thick braid at the nape of her neck, then throwing it on the hearth to burn. Kero pressed her face against the cold stone of the floor, breathing deeply, trying to calm the adrenaline running through her veins. She felt Eldan employing his dagger on her leathers, checking her for burns. When he found only minor burns that could be Healed with very little effort, he sighed in relief and sat back on his heels beside her.

            "Are you all right, Aunt Kero?" Caia's little voice fluttered down to her through the fatigue brought on by the adrenaline crash. Before Kero could answer, feet pounded down the hallway and people dressed in Whites burst into the room, creating more chaos than Kero really wanted to deal with.

            "Captain!"

            "What happened?"

            "Are you burned?"

            "Get a healer!"

            "Everyone back off!"

            The last came from Eldan. Everyone moved back and Kero sat up as silence descended.

            "I'm fine, Caia. Just feeling a little naked right now."

            The little girl giggled as Kero began searching the crowd for Ianthe. She spotted her wrapped in Acacia's arms, her face buried against her sister's neck.

            "Nothing's wrong everyone. We just discovered we have a new little fire starter in the family. Thanks rushing to our aid."

            The crowd slowly trickled out of the room among many whispers about fire starters and how dangerous they could be if not properly taught. The whispers unerringly found their way to Ianthe's ears, and Kero could see the little girl cringe even more against Acacia. Acacia glared down anyone who looked in their direction, more than willing to fight for her sister.

            "Ianthe, come here."

            Ianthe shook her head and huddled closer to Acacia.

            "Ianthe, I won't hurt you. Come here."

            "She doesn't want to."

            "What she does or doesn't want to do is not up to her right now. Ianthe, come here, now."

            Kero's firm voice propelled the girl away from her sister and drew her over to where Kero was sitting, half-leaning against Eldan who was absently tugging on the ends of her newly shorn hair. Ianthe stopped a few feet away, eyes downcast.

            "I'm sorry I lit your hair on fire. I didn't mean to."

            "I know. But do you know why I am mad?"

            "Because your hair is gone."

            "No. I'm mad because you should know better than to do magic inside. There are special places for it, and special people you have to be around when you do that. Do you understand?"

            "Yes, Aunt Kero."

            Kero did not have it in her to punish the girl. The fact that the girl did not know she was doing wrong made it impossible. She pondered her options for a few minutes, then nodded decisively.

            "Tomorrow, we will have you tested. Then you will learn some basics until you are old enough to master your Gift. In the meantime, it is bath time, then bedtime." Groans met her announcement. "Do not even think about arguing. That is not how things are done in the Companies. Bath, then bed." The girls barely argued, straggling to their own rooms to get their bathing things. Damini toddled over and made herself a comfortable seat in Kero's lap. The baby was with the healer for the night, having her cold taken care. _At least I don't have to deal with a sick baby tonight_, Kero thought in relief. Then suspicion began to set in. She turned to Eldan. "Is it me or did they agree to a bath way too easily?"

            Eldan shook his head. "It isn't you. They're up to something."


	4. Alone

Hey everyone. Sorry this chapter is a bit late, and I'm not even sure I like this chapter. Had the duty round from hell last night, complete with having to call the cops. Plus, school started, so I'm trying to balance homework and my job. Anyhoo, here are some responses to your wonderful comments:

Fireblade: In my family, which has numerous great-aunts and –uncles, we just refer to everyone as if they were regular aunts and uncles, and nieces and nephews are regular by extension. In the interest of not having to write "Great-Aunt Kero" every time one of the girls talked to Kero, I just followed my family tradition. I also thought that anyone who was reading this story would know of Kero's relation to Dierna and be able to draw the oppopriate conclusion, and therefore left the explanation out. The girls might get to meet some of the Bolts later on, though. I'm still working on later parts of the plot.

This-Is-Not-A-Flame: There is no way I would perceive your post as a flame. Like I said earlier, I don't have the books with me so I can't look up references. I knew Dierdre was wrong, but I couldn't look it up in the book and I had already spent hours choosing the girls' names, so I wasn't up to looking up everything on the Internet. Thank you for the correction! As soon as I figure out how to edit the story, I'll fix Dierna's name. If you see any other mistakes with spelling or people's names, let me know. Thanks!

Wizard116: OK, to the best of my knowledge, here are the pronunciations of the girls' names. I got them out of a site of baby names, so I'm drawing on my limited knowledge of the languages they come from that I learned in my Etymology class last semester.

Acacia: Uh-KAY-see-uh

Ianthe: Ee-ANN-tee

Caia: KY-uh

Damini: DAY-min-ee

I'll give you the baby's name pronunciation when we get to that part of the story.

Again, thank you for all the wonderful comments, everyone. I am very happy that you are all enjoying my story.Now, on with the tale!

Disclaimer: I am not Mercedes Lackey nor do I own any of her characters.

Chapter 4

            "It really doesn't look too bad."

            Talia tugged lightly on the ends of Kero's hair as she sat on high lip of the tub that Kero was bathing Damini in. The luke-warm water seemed to have taken a liking to Kero. Currently, she was wetter than the toddler in the bathtub. Kero glanced up at Talia, dragging her attention away from the toddler for an instant. Damini took advantage of that instant by trying to make a break for the hallway, but Kero caught the slippery little girl before she even made it over the edge of the tub and plopped her back into the soapy water with a splash. Damini giggled in delight and began slapping the water, drenching Kero's hair and soaking her old lightweight tunic, with which she had replaced her ruined leathers, with more water. Talia smiled as she reminisced over the days when Jemmie was small enough to bathe like that.

            "Yes, it does." Kero's comment drew her back to the present. "It still smells like it's been lit on fire, and I've already washed it once today." Damini splashed again. "Make that twice."

            "Nonsense. It just needs a trim to even it out and get rid of the ragged ends. What did Eldan use to cut it, a spoon? We'll get Jeri to do it for you. She'll make you presentable."

            "If I want to go to court."

            "If you want to be a mean, scary mercenary captain."

            Kero gave her own hair an abrupt tug as if trying to make it longer.

            "I've had long hair as long as I can remember. What can I possibly do with hair this short so that it won't get in my way? And still look like a mercenary?"

            Recognizing the signs of exhaustion in Kero, Talia attempted to quickly change the subject while the racket of the other little girls bathing increased to shrieks and shouts of laughter. Raising her head, Kero took in the carnage. The bathing tubs in their immediate area had been abandoned by the other bathers in search of quieter surroundings. Not that one needed a tub to bathe here. There was enough water on the white tile floor to take care of that. Soap was being flung in all directions by the foursome and in the past half-hour Kero had been forced to kiss three bruises, much to her embarrassment, and in public no less.

            "What you need to do is put these girls to bed and go snuggle with your man under a pile of nice warm blankets. In one day, you've inherited a rather large and rambunctious family, moved to new quarters and had your hair burned off. I would call that a rough day, even for you, Herald-Captain. Everything will look better tomorrow. I promise."

            Kero smiled glumly, not used to being comforted but willing to accept it anyway. The headache pounding through her head and her aching body all agreed with Talia's prescription for having a better tomorrow, and snuggling with Eldan under warm blankets could make any day better. All she had to do was get the girls to go to sleep.

            "Kero." Eldan's voice interrupted her thoughts. He stood in the doorway to the bathing area, eyes covered with one hand in respect for the other bathers, dressed in traveling leathers and saddle bags on the floor by his feet. Kero felt her heart drop. "I need to talk to you."

            "Can you-- ?"

            "Sure."

            Kero rose from her kneeling position on the floor and Talia took over, efficiently scrubbing the squirming toddler down with far more ease than Kero would ever exhibit. _Definitely must be a Gift_, Kero muttered to herself, then drew Eldan out into the hallway with her. She leaned back against the cool stone of the wall and Eldan closed the space between them, sliding his hands down her sides to hips, molding her sodden tunic to her even more that it already was. He bent his head forward and rested it on her shoulder, his breath warming the crook of her neck and making her squirm as it tickled.

            "Where are you going?"

            "North. Evendam. This blizzard is hitting them bad up there. The longhouses are buried under mounds of snow. Every available Herald is needed up there."

            "Why wasn't I called up? I can dig the Bolts out of the garrison and take them up to assist."

            "Shallan is already moving them."

            "Under whose orders?!"

            "Selenay."

            "The Bolts aren't Shallan's company! They're mine! What business does Selenay have sending them up there under Shallan?" Kero's fury rose. "Since when does every Herald of physical ability get called up but I get left behind?"

            "Since you acquired five little girls." Eldan's words took the wind from her sails and she felt the tears begin to creep up again, but forced them back.

            "I didn't ask for them."

            "No, but you got them."

            "I should be there with the Bolts."

            "They'll be fine. You trust Shallan. They won't be fighting, just digging out some snow. Getting some exercise. You leave Shallan in charge of that every day." She agreed with Eldan's logic, but it did not help to ease the strange sense of loss and loneliness she was experiencing. The pressure of building tears redoubled, making them almost impossible to fight back.

            "I should be there with you."

            "Oh, baby." Eldan pulled her close, wiping away the few tears that managed to escape and cradling her head against his shoulder.

            "We haven't been separated since we found each other again during the war against Ancar. How do I know you won't get yourself kidnapped by Karsite sunpriestesses again or something? There aren't too many mercs running around Karse, I'll have you know, and if you somehow do get kidnapped and rescued by a merc, I swear I'll kill you if you take up with her."

            Eldan half-grinned. " 'Take up'?"

            "You know what I mean." Kero's tears were back under control and she drew her head off his shoulder. Eldan raised his right hand in solemn vow.

            "I, Eldan, swear to avoid all sunpriestesses I encounter in or around Evendam, to refuse to go back to Karse and to not 'take up' with any beautiful mercenaries who happen to rescue me, present company excluded, of course."

            Kero felt a slight smile crease her face. "Of course."

            Eldan grinned and moved back in, angling for a kiss. "Good. In that case, we can discuss my rewar-"

            "KERO!" Talia's shriek and wave of fear sent both Kero and Eldan scurrying back into the bathroom. The scene that greeted them was astounding to even Kero's jaded eyes. Talia was pinned to the ceiling by stone vines that had grown out of marble. More vines were growing all around them, from the floor, walls and even the bathing tubs. The leaves were perfectly formed and some were even sprouting flowers with large, flamboyant petals in colors Kero had never seen on a real vine, much less one made of marble. One vine began creeping up Kero's left leg, but she felt the cold touch of the stone and smashed her heel on it, grateful for her riding boots and the amount of destruction they could produce. Her eyes immediately searched out Ianthe and saw her huddled in the far corner with the other girls, yet determinedly blasting any vines that came near them with firebolts that would have made her great-grandmother proud.

            "Ianthe, are these yours?"

            "I didn't make them!" Her voice was a bit strained as she blasted another vine that came near them. Gray edged around her face as exhaustion began to creep in. Kero glanced up at Talia and decided she was safe for the moment, so she headed for the girls, stomping vines the entire way. Damini hopped onto Kero's back like a monkey when she crouched down. Then she gathered a growling Acacia under one arm and Ianthe under the other. Eldan grabbed Caia and tucked her under an arm like a sack of flour as he shattered vines around him with a broomstick he had found before entering the bathing room.

            "Get them out of here!" he shouted. "I'll get Talia!"

            "I have her!" Dirk had come running when he felt Talia's fear, followed by Jeri and Alberich who were stomping on any vines within the reach of their boots, not wanting to ruin their swords on something the swords could not even damage. The thicker vines holding Talia to the ceiling were resisting everything they threw at them. Dirk was Fetching anything he could think of to break the vines that would not hurt Talia. By now Elspeth had also arrived and began exerting her own Gift, battering at the vines, when she suddenly stopped.

            "We're going about this the wrong way." Her mumble was caught only by Dirk, who stopped in his futile beating of the vines and followed Elspeth's gaze to the vinelike engravings on the walls near the ceiling, then to Damini, who was standing in the doorway giggling and clapping like a loon. She crossed the room, approaching Damini slowly, then crouched down until she was eye to eye with the little girl. "Do you like the flowers, little one?"

            "Fwowers! Pwetty!"

            "She can talk?" Kero's jaw dropped in a seldom seen expression of surprise. "I though she couldn't talk! She never said anything before this!"

            Damini let out an impressive string of Karsite curses and giggled again as more flowers erupted.

            "I thought you were joking about the whole swearing in Karsite thing."

            "So did I."

            Elspeth grinned. "You most certainly can talk, can't you, munchkin? You were just luring them into complacency weren't you?"

            "'Pacencey?"

            "Never mind. Why don't you put the flowers back where they belong?"

            "Fwowers pwetty! Stay!"

            "Elspeth! Anytime now!" Talia was now almost completely covered in stone vines and her voice was muffled.

            "Dami." Kero crouched and turned the toddler to face her. "Remember what I told Ianthe? No magic inside or without an adult to tell you what to do."

            Damini's lower lip began to stick out and tears began to leak from her crystalline blue eyes to trail down cheeks that Kero imagined would be chubby once they got enough food into the girl. "Snow ou'side. Fwowers inside. Pwetty inside."

            "Yes, they're very pretty, but they're hurting Talia. Can you please put her down and tell the flowers to go away?"

            Damini turned around and looked up at Talia, as if realizing for the first time that Talia was about to be completely covered in the stone vines and flowers. Then her little face scrunched up and she fisted her little hands. Her face turned red as she concentrated on the flowers, trying to make them go away. Some of them did, but the ones around Talia remained stubbornly in place.

            "Won' go 'way." Damini's voice sounded panicked as more tears fell. "Don' wanna hurt Talia!"

            Elspeth frowned and gathered her own gift around her and began probing the magic, looking for a weakness. Abruptly then vines around Talia disintegrated and she plummeted toward the ground only to be caught by Dirk and Alberich, who barely staggered under her slight weight.

            "There you go, Dami, it's all right. See? Talia's fine." Kero barely recognized her own voice as she sought to comfort the toddler who had turned back to Kero and burrowed against her. Her arms came up and pulled the unresisting Dimini closer and one hand began stroking her hair. Damini tucked a thumb into her mouth and let her legs go limp, forcing Kero to pick her up. Within seconds, Damini was sound asleep, her head lolling against Kero's shoulder.

            Elspeth, meanwhile, was examining the few vine fragments left with a frown on her face. Eldan's voice caused her to look up distractedly.

            "What's wrong?"

            "Hmm? Nothing. Must have been my imagination." She stood and briskly wiped her palms on her breeches. "Well, one thing is for sure. Kero's family sure has a strong inherited Gift."

            Eldan grinned wryly. "That's for sure."

      "Do you really have to go?"

      Kero's voice was muffled against Eldan's shoulder as they stood just inside the doors of the Heralds' Wing. The girls were snoozing away in exhausted slumbers, watched over by Alberich, who sat in a chair by the fire back in their rooms.

      "Yes."

      "Please don't leave me with them. I might kill them or something out of pure ineptitude."

      "Nonsense. You'll be fine. Just remember what Talia told you. You've already lived through three major crises today. You'll make it for the few weeks I'll be gone, and you'll have Sayvil to help."

      "Three? I only counted the butterflies and the vines."

      "I was counting their arrival this morning."

      "Ah."

      The sounds of Companions outside the doors drew their attention, and Kero sighed.

      "I guess it's time for you to go."

      "I think so, too. I'll be back before you know it. You'll see."

      Kero drew a deep breath and pulled back from Eldan, then forced a smile. "You're right. Everything will be fine."

      "There's my mercenary."

      Eldan leaned down and gleaned a slow kiss from her.

      "Be safe."

      It was Eldan's turn to smile. "That's my line."

      "It's mine today."

      "I'll be safe. I promise."

      "Good. Go kill some snow drifts."

            Eldan gave her one last quick kiss, gathered up his bags, and strode out the door.


	5. Needed: Money

This-Is-Not-A-Flame: The joke about Evendim was that it is as far away from Karse as you could get. Kero was being irrational. I've read too many trashy romance novels where the male lead refers to the female lead as "baby". I was just rereading that and I agree. Thank you for the spelling corrections!

I got such violent reactions to my spelling of the Great E-Land that I'm half tempted to leave it, but I figure you guys might kill me if I don't fix it. I'm glad you all are enjoying my story so much. Sorry for the long delays, but school and work come first. I'll get around to the editing slowly but surely. In the meantime, forgive me for my mistakes and don't let it ruin the story for you. Thank you for all the wonderful comments!

Chapter 5

            _"How goes it, love?"_

_            Eldan lay with Kero in the grass that belonged to some meadow of his memory. It was his turn to choose the location and he had chosen a place that was the exact opposite of where his physical body was. Interestingly enough, Kero's hair was still long in this dream, spread out on the grass under her, shining in the warm sunlight. Kero knew she should be amused by Eldan's absentmindedness, but found herself too tired to work up the energy to be amused. Likewise, they were both still fully clothed, Eldan in some loose breeches and a favorite shirt of his, worn soft and bare in spots, Kero in a loose gown that she would not be caught dead in in real life but secretly loved to wear in their dreams._

_            "Exhausting. So far we have a mage and a firestarter. Acacia is being, well, like I would be in her position. Sayvil is too busy snikering to be of any help. The baby should be coming back tomorrow morning. And we can't afford to clothe this many growing girls."_

_            Eldan frowned at the last and wrapped a strand of hair around his finger. "We have the savings. We don't always spend our stipends and you have your income from the Bolts."_

_            "We talked about this awhile back, remember? When the Healers discovered that a bad batch of moon powder had been delivered to the Collegium? We can afford three children, but no more."_

_            He sighed and rolled onto his back, contemplating the sky. A brief moment of concentration caused their current finances to appear in the sky and he began to mentally move figures around. Kero observed and made a few comments, but their conclusions remained the same._

_            "What we need to do," Kero mused, "is to get a few of them Chosen."_

_            Eldan snorted. "Keep saying that and it will never happen."_

_            "One can hope."_

_            Then Kero was struck by sudden inspiration, followed by a feeling of dread. Eldan, watching the expressions flit across her face, was struck by sudden amusement, then he restrained himself._

_            "You look like you're facing Death."_

_            "I swore I would never pick up a needle for anything other than fixing armor and mending my clothes."_

_            Curiosity overtook him. "Why would that be of any import right now? You can't make dresses." Then it dawned on him. "Can you?"_

_            Kero growled under her breath and scrubbed her hands over her face. "Yes, I can make dresses, dammit. It's been several decades, but I could probably put a few basic ones together for them. Buying the cloth would be a lot cheaper than having the dresses made. I'm sure we can supplement with hand-me-downs from other Heralds."_

_            Eldan grinned. "You crafty woman, you. You'll be embroidering before you know it." Kero paled and Eldan chuckled evilly, rolling on top of her. "Oh yes, I can see it now. Making little nightgowns for the baby. Embroidering the hem of  your gown." He leaned down, nibbled her earlobe, and whispered, "Darning my socks."_

_            "Oh, yuck!" Kero scissored her legs and flipped Eldan onto his back so she was on top, pinning his wrists to the ground and grinning. "You wish, lover. I might stitch your mouth closed, but I will never darn your socks!"_

_            "You think so?"_

_            "I know so."_

_            It was Eldan's turn to flip them over. "I think you are going to be _very _domestic by the time I get back."_

_            He was leaning down again, this time to nibble his way along her jaw. Kero felt a wetness along her cheek._

_            "Oh, yuck, Eldan, stop doing that!"_

_            He lifted his head._

_            "Stop doing what?"_

_            "Stop licking my cheek."_

_            His expression was a classical study in perplexity. "I'm not licking your cheek."_

_            Kero frowned as more wetness oozed down her cheek. "Then what-"_

            "-is that?"

            Kero's eyes snapped open, the dream dissolving in an instant in the face of a huge head with sharp teeth, a lolling tongue and bad breath.

            "Blessed Agnira!"

            She was reaching for her sword when she heard the giggles. Kero froze. The dog standing over her _woofed_ and leaned down to deliver another slobbering lick to her face. The dog would never pass as cute. Judging from what Kero could see of him, which was not much since his huge head occluded most of his body from her perspective, the dog was the result of one of Daren's hunters breaking out of the kennel and sporting with one of the ladies' lapdogs. He was still a pup, but his large head and paws suggested that he would be monstrous at full size. The color of his fur was indeterminant due to a large amount of mud, which was also splattered liberally over the bedding and the wooden floors.

            "Acacia."

            Acacia wandered forward from the door way and stopped next to the bed. She grinned beligerantly. "We're keeping him."

            Kero raised an eyebrow. "No, you're not." She sat up and pushed the dog out of her face. Once she was standing beside the bed, she hefted the dog bodily and carried him toward the door to their suite.

            "Yes we are!" Acacia yelled. "He came up to the door and scratched it and licked us when we opened it, so he's ours!"

            "Last time I checked, this was my suite, so no, you're not keeping him."

            By now, Kero had reached the door and wrenched it open, proceeding into the hallway, heedless of freezing toes.

            "It's cold outside!" This last was from Caia, trudging along behind her big sister and rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Her hair was a large knot that Kero was not looking forward to untangling. "He'll freeze!"

            The dog did feel cold to her and she felt herself softening for an instant, then firmed her resolve. "No dog, that's final." By now she had reached the exterior doors, but felt herself faltering once again. The snow was still coming down, but nowhere near as bad as the blizzard of the day before. However, the blizzard had brought temperatures that had not been seen since the Ice Festival years before. The girls stood in the doorway of the suite, yelling on top of their lungs, drawing the other residents of the echoing hallway to the doors of their own suites. Knowing she could not give in to the girls, Kero was faced with a dilemma. She did not want the dog to die. The mutt was staring up at her with big brown eyes and emitting little whines, giving a wag of his tail when he realized Kero was paying attention to him. Firming her resolve once more, Kero used a hip to push the door open, then stopped when the freezing air whirled around her and she realized that she could not do it. Acacia was standing in the doorway to their suite, with the rest of the girls, and Kero could practically feel her smirking in triumph. Then she was struck by a sudden idea. She let the door close and the dog wriggled excitedly, smearing her with more mud. Ignoring it, Kero let the seedling of a plan erupt into full flower. Sayvil chuckled merrily in her mind.

            :_Truly wicked, Chosen. Maybe this way she'll be too busy chasing the dog and won't get into as much trouble._:

            : _Yes, I do believe this will work._:

            Kero turned around and began to walk back towards the suite, a smug grin on her face that startled Acacia into silence. The girl knew when she had been outthought, and she grimly realized that she was competing with a true master. The dog had worked itself into an excited frenzy now, woofing and paddling his shovel-like paws in the air, tail whacking Kero's side.

            "You want a dog?"

            Acacia swallowed and nodded.

            "You take care of him."

            With that, Kero let the dog slide to the floor, where he promptly barreled Acacia over and covered the girl with mud from head to toe.

            "I mean it, Acacia. You bathe him, you find him food, you take him outside to do his necessaries, you walk him everyday, no matter the weather. You are in charge of him. If you screw up, he will be gone."

            Acacia's eyes widened. She had just been hoping to annoy Kero, not land herself in a position of responsibility. "But—"

            "But me not buts, youngling. You want him, you take care of him. End of discussion."

            With that, Kero stalked through the door and to her bedchamber to change.

"By the gods, she's spawned."

            The horrified whisper echoed in the silence of the mess hall as Kero led the girls down the central aisle to an empty table and gestured for them to sit. The baby, who still had no name, snoozed quietly in the shin'a'in style baby carrier strapped to her back. The girls, eager for food, quickly complied. Caia was as excited about her "new" dress as she was over the prospect of food. Since the girls had gotten her up so early, Kero had taken the opportunity to locate some clothes for the girls until she could make them some dresses herself. Talia had already volunteered to help make the dresses, and Jeri, of all people, had volunteered to dust off her embroidery skills and embroider some simple designs on them. The offer that had most surprised her, however, had been from Selenay. Somehow she had already gotten word of the new additions to Kero's family and given her the run of the Royal Nursery to borrow what she needed. Caia's dress was a cast-off of Lyra's, yet it seemed to be Caia's greatest treasure and she was constantly stroking the soft pink skirt and admiring the embroidered bodice every chance she could. Acacia, on the other hand, had opted for breeches and a tunic. Somehow Talia had scrounged up some of Jemmie's old clothes and Housekeeper had managed to make some quick alterations to make them fit Acacia. Ianthe was sporting another of Lyra's old dresses, this one a practical fawn color with little red butterflies embroidered on the hem. Kero had chosen the dress herself when she had seen the embroidery and it seemed to appeal to Ianthe just as much. Damini was toddling around in a little white shift with an undyed wool over-dress.

            Kero had also taken the opportunity to enroll them in classes with Blues, which they would start this morning. She could only hope the girls would not be harassed about appearing for their first day of classes in royal castoffs. Normally, with any other girls, that is, Kero would have held them back until their uniforms were ready. However, Kero was quickly realizing that she was no match for five active little girls and she needed the help of professionals.

            "How goes it?"

            Talia's voice broke the silence and the Herald Trainees turned back to their meals. She had spent the early morning with Damini, snuggling with the sleepy toddler as Kero selected dresses and reassuring the little girl that she was not angry about the events of the other day.

            "Fairly well. No disasters, but we still have the rest of today."

            Acacia snorted and Kero turned to face her. Blue eyes met and held, then Kero raised an eyebrow. "Do you have something to say?"

            "Why do we have to go to school?" Acacia's voice dripped with disdain. "They'll make me be a _lady_ and all that stuff."

            "There's nothing wrong with being a lady, Acacia." Caia spoke up from the other side of Ianthe, who sat across from Acacia. "It's even a desi…dise… it's something boys like."

            Acacia's nose wrinkled. "Who wants one of those? They're gross, they smell and they're undisciplined."

            Talia was muffling a laugh behind her hand and Kero was rubbing her forehead, then abruptly stopped and briskly clapped her hands to bring the girls' attention back to her. The baby started in her carrier, then sneezed and went back to sleep.

            "OK, we all learned the drill earlier. What do we do first?"

            "Tray!"

            "Very good. Then?"

            "Fork!"

            "Spoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!" It was Damini's new and favorite word.

            "Then?"

            "Food!" All the girls proclaimed this as loud as they could.

            "Good! Everyone up."

            The girls all stood up and assumed a parade ground formation in the aisle.

            "Single file."

            They rearranged themselves in order, Acacia, being the tallest, was in back and Damini, being the smallest and most in need of help was up front, placed right behind Kero. Kero thought she detected another laugh from Talia, but when she turned her head to look, Talia had a perfectly straight face.

            "March."

            Kero started in the direction of the food line with the girls following behind like an orderly row of soldier-ducks. When they reached the stack of trays, Kero handed one to every girl except Damini, who pouted but accepted a spoon Kero handed to her with a grin. The spoon was instantly turned so the bowl of it fit of her little button nose and balanced there with a talent Kero could not help but admire. She did not even loose it while she followed along behind Kero. Each girl managed to acquire a bowl of porridge and several other food articles before they all headed back to the table. Talia tagged behind them, impressed.

            "Wow, Kero, you really managed to get them in line."

            "It wasn't that hard. All I had to do was—" Kero broke off as a lobbed spoonful of porridge hit her in the shoulder, followed by a round of giggling. As she turned to find the culprit, she met Acacia's smug grin. Before she could open her mouth to chastise her, another lob found its mark on Acacia's face. Ianthe erupted in giggles, a porridge covered spoon clasped in her fist.

            "You asked for it!" Acacia scooped up another spoonful and lobbed it in Ianthe's direction, who ducked. The lob found a home on the back of a trainee's tunic. Ianthe quickly returned fire with another barrage. Caia allied herself with Acacia and lobbed yet another spoonful in Ianthe's direction. This one was a direct hit since it was fired at point blank range and made a wonderful _splat_ sound as it hit Ianthe's ear and exploded in her hair. Damini quickly caught on to the new game and abandoned the use of her favorite spoon and began grabbing fistfuls of porridge and hurling it in every direction, heedless of friend or foe.

            "Hold your fire! Hold your fire!"

            The girls froze in mid-action. A blob of porridge slid off Caia's spoon and plopped in her lap, causing tears to instantly well up in her eyes. Kero felt a panic attack coming on. Caia loved her pretty dress, and porridge getting splattered on it would cause and crying jag so intense the child would end up vomiting whatever she had eaten. She had learned this from experience earlier when they were all walking back from the nursery. Caia had slipped on a freshly washed floor and plopped bottom first into the puddle of water she slipped in. The water had been perfectly clean, but it had not seemed to matter to Caia. In her opinion, the gown was ruined. The gown really had gotten ruined when Caia had quickly coated it with the remnants of last night's dinner.

            "Oh, no. Oh, no, Caia, don't cry, it'll wash right out, you'll see."

            "I got porridge on my dress!"

            "I know, but it won't stain, I promise, we'll get it out tonight and you can wear the dress tomorrow. You can put on your pretty green dress for today before I take you to class."

            "My dress is dirty!" Tears began pouring down her face. Within the few seconds it took Kero to dodge students and porridge to get to her, Caia had worked herself into a fit of enormous proportions. Then the gagging began.

            "She's gonna blow!" Acacia screamed and ducked under the table, followed by the rest of the girls. Kero swore and heard Damini repeat it from under the table before she managed to grab Caia and raced from the hall, heading for the nearest bathroom. Kero's hand over Caia's mouth was the only thing that allowed them to make it without another disaster.

            A few minutes and several more gags later, they were all back in Kero and Eldan's rooms. The rest of the girls were presumably sitting quietly in the main room under Talia's watchful eye while Kero was helping Caia to change.

            "Caia, why do you get so upset when your dress gets dirty?"

            Kero tugged the pink dress over Caia's head, leaving the little girl in her white shift with pink embroidery, then reached over for the green dress and paused when Caia began pulling her shift over her head.

            "What are you doing?"

            "This shift doesn't match the green dress. I need the other shift."

            "It looks fine to me."

            Caia rolled her eyes in a way that only a lot of practice with Acacia could accomplish. "Warrior."

            "Wench. What's wrong with the pink embroidered shift?"

            "A green dress needs a shift with green embroidery. Pink and green do not belong together."

            "You like pink roses don't you?"

            "Yes."

            "Those are pink with green leaves."

            "That's different."

            "Why?"

            "Because!"

            "That's not much of an answer. And you still haven't answered my original question. Why do you get so upset over a little dirt on your dress?"

            Caught in the act of trying to change the subject, Caia looked down and allowed Kero to pull the green dress over her head and tie up the laces in back. Then she mumbled something Kero did not hear clearly. She placed and finger under Caia's chin and tipped her head up so she could see the little girl's face.

            "Look at me when you want to talk to me. What did you say?"

            "Mama liked it when I kept my dresses clean. She wouldn't be so mean then."

            "What do you mean?"

            "If I kept my dress clean, she might let me eat supper with her and Papa instead of whatever she and Papa didn't eat."

            Kero felt fury creeping into her thoughts and forced it back before Caia could see it.

            "She didn't let all of you have good food?"

            "She said only girls who did their duty, kept themselves pretty and married early and had boys could eat at the table. Acacia never ate at the table."

            "She didn't?"

            "Nuh-uh, she always tore her dresses, I even saw her do it on purpose, once."

            Admiration began to assist in the fight against the fury. "She did?"

            Caia nodded sagely. "Uh-huh. She said she didn't want to eat with Mama or Papa because they were mean and she hoped someone would put poison in their food. She said someone would do it eventually, so she made sure she didn't eat food with them just in case. Then we'd see them get sick and know not to eat the food."

            A grin tugged at Kero's mouth, but she forced it back. It sounded just like Acacia. "Well, you never have to worry about that with me. I'll always feed you, no matter how dirty your dress is. Besides, in a few days your uniforms will be ready and you won't have to worry about getting your favorite dresses dirty."

            "Really?"

            "Mm-hm."

            Caia glanced over to where the dog, freshly washed, was nosing in her pink dress, slopping up the remains of the porridge. The dog appeared to be a brown monstrosity with two white stripes of raised fur running along the top of its head. Acacia had wanted to name the dog "Eldan" but Kero had quickly demolished that idea.

"Auntie Kero?"

            "What?"

            "Can I have a kitten?"

            "No."

            "Please?"

            "No."


	6. Family

Hey, everyone, how's it going? OK, to answer some reviews:

Laurel-Anne Romm: No, I'm not a mama, but I do have plenty of experience as an auntie (I have a niece and a nephew). I also babysit, and I've worked at a daycare center and I was a summer camp counselor for two years. Now I'm the Mom-Away-From-Home for approximately 25 college students (I'm a Resident Assistant). The girls' exploits are a combination of my residents, my neice, my nephew and every child I've ever babysat or counseled, with a little magic thrown in. I am sad to say, however, that I alone am responsible for light my own hair on fire.

Agnstwolf: Um…wow. Can I borrow some of that energy/slap-happy? Yes the title will make sense later on, specifically at the very end of the story. It's actually the first hint of the real plot (yes, there are two plots). Kero's relationship with the girls is a sub-plot. The real plot is just starting to get going. hands over Benedryl Here, this might help with the sleep deprivation problem.

Lizai: Don't worry, the parental units get what's coming to them,

This-Is-Not-A-Flame: I really am keeping track of the spelling errors and I really will edit everything! Thank you!

This chapter brought to you by procrastination. You gotta love it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the worlds or anything else. It all belongs to Mercedes Lackey.

Chapter 6

"No."

"Acacia." Kero's voice was level and cold. "Get in the classroom."

Acacia crossed her arms over her chest and glared. Blue eyes met and clashed, then the smaller set glanced down at the floor.

"I'm only going in because I want to." Her voice was filled with petulance and she was braced against the wrath she knew must be coming at her. Instead, she was shocked as Kero waved her through the door.

"Fine, let's go."

Acacia stepped through the door and came face to face with a young noble boy who smirked when he saw her breeches and tunic that were obviously castoffs. He was well dressed in Blues that had undoubtedly been seen by the finest tailor instead of Talia's needle, and his dark hair was styled in the latest court fashion of long layers, curled at the ends. His face would have been handsome for an eight-year-old if he had not been smirking. He face still carried a bit of the baby fat that Acacia had lost on the journey or never had. The only way Kero could describe his face was utterly perfect, utterly symmetrical. He would grow up to be a heartbreaker, and, if Kero was any judge, a rabble-rouser.

:_And__ his parents probably paid for it._:

Kero chuckled over Sayvil's comment. Over the last few years, it had become fashionable for nobles to pay to have their children altered before birth to make them more desirable. As it was, Kero found him highly unattractive and wished she could smack the impudence out of him. From the look on Acacia's face, she was planning to do just that. Before the hellraiser could start anything, Kero stepped around front of her, effectively shoving the boy out of the way. The teacher, one Scholar Dervyl, had stepped up beside them. He was an old man, barely able to todder around the classroom and it appeared he spent much of his time in the overstuffed leather chair behind the desk off to the side.

"Acacia, look at me."

Acacia dragged her eyes from the teacher to Kero, who had kneeled and was now at eye level. The look on her face almost had Kero dragging Acacia back out of the room and taking her to the salle with Damini and the baby, but she resisted. Ianthe and Caia had already been delivered to their classrooms and would be mage tested during the day, along with the other girls. As it was, Kero was feeling extremely guilty for dragging her to school.

"Ignore him, Acacia. He's not worth it. Trust me."

Acacia raised an eyebrow. "The teacher? Sure, no problem."

Kero started to roll her eyes, then stopped herself.

:_Picking__ up a few habits, Chosen?_:

:_Stow__ it, hayburner._:

She ignored Sayvil and concentrated on Acacia. "I meant that boy. He just wants a response. Whatever you do, don't hit him."

"Sure."

Kero raised another eyebrow. Acacia had agreed way too easily. She was up to something.

"I mean it, Acacia. Don't hit him."

"I said I wouldn't!" With that Acacia stormed off across the room to inspect the view outside the windows.

Kero sighed and rose until she was standing again, then turned to face the teacher who was chuckling quietly.

"Ah, the troubles of youth. Have no worries, Herald, I'll take good care of her."

"It's not her I'm worried about."

With that, Kero turned and stalked off.

"She doesn't really look like you."

Daren's voice was, if possible, both amused and smug at the same time. He sat leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on the monstrously large and map-strewn wooden desk. The baby was propped up in his lap, leaning against his legs and staring at him with her own large, unfocused eyes. Her eyes were an indeterminate shade of gray that Kero was guessing would turn to the family trait of blue. Her head was bald as an egg and her features were wrinkled like an old crone's. Kero had no idea how Daren could determine family resemblance since, as far as she was concerned, she did not think the baby resembled anything other than a wrinkled grape.

"I hope she doesn't. It would be very scary to think I looked like that as a babe."

Daren half-grinned, drew himself up as best he could in the chair, and assumed a superior knowledgeable position as an experienced parent. "No baby looks pretty right away, Kero. They're all bruised and battered and wrinkly from floating around for nine months then being squeezed out a very tight space."

Kero shuddered. "Don't talk about that."

Daren just grinned wider and turned back to the baby. "What is your name, little one? Haven't told anyone yet?"

Kero sighed in exasperation. "Daren, she doesn't have any teeth! How can she talk?"

"You, of all people, should realize there are other ways to communicate than talking. She'll tell you what her name is. Just wait for it. She's probably just trying to get a feel for you." The baby coughed a few times and whimpered, scrunching up a face that was turning rapidly red. Then she grunted and Daren assumed and alarmed look. "Oh, no."

"What?" Kero began to panic. If something was wrong with the baby and the experienced Daren could not fix it, there was nothing she could do. "What's wrong?"

"Whoa. I think you can handle this."

"If you can't handle it, I can't handle it. What is wrong?" Just as the words left her mouth, an ominous aroma hit her nose and she paled. "Oh no. No way. I am not changing that." The baby began to whine and squirm as discomfort set in, mixed with a few coughs that remained from her cold.

"You're her guardian, Auntie Kero. You need to learn to do this."

"And I take it you're going to teach me."

"Uh….no."

Kero raised an eyebrow. "Uh…yes."

"Really, Kero, it's not like you're riding into battle or anything. It's just a bit of a mess that needs to be cleaned up."

"If that's all it is, you can do it. Be my guest." Kero sank into her chair across the desk from Daren and propped her own booted feet on it. She smirked as he hesitated. "What's the matter, Oh Experienced Parent? Not sure what to do?"

It was Daren's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Nonsense, I've changed plenty of nappies, what with the twins and all. I just think that you need the experience. No time like the present, and all of that."

Kero barked a laugh. "Hah! I'm thinking 'no time like some other time', myself. Go ahead. Take the honors."

"No, Kero, the honors really should be yours."

"Wanna duel over it?"

Daren winced, then laid the baby on the desk to begin the toe curling task of changing her diaper. As he pulled the diaper open, Kero put a hand over her nose and mouth and reminded herself to breath shallowly, unlike Daren, who was rapidly turning green.

"Whoa! What did you feed this child!"

Kero grinned mischieviously while holding her nose between thumb and forefinger. She might have fought her way through armies that smelled worse, but that did not mean she had any intention of reliving those memories via an awesomely rank diaper.

"I fed her exactly what the healer told me to feed her. Don't try to blame this on me."

Daren turned his head to breath the relatively fresher air over his shoulder, then gulped and turned back to the task at hand, stopping to glare at her. "You are evil incarnate, woman. To do this to some poor, unfortunate person…"

"You mean some poor, unfortunate male."

"…to some poor, unfortunate person," he continued in round tones, as if he had never been interrupted, "is a truly horrible deed. Oh, sweet goddess, this is worse than a latrine."

"You wimps."

They looked up at the sound of an amused voice coming from the doorway of the cluttered study to see Selenay lounging against the dark wooden doorframe, smirking and shaking her head.

"It's a diaper, people. It won't attack you and try to find the weak points in your defense."

"I think it already did," Kero commented nasally, still holding her nose.

Selenay bit back a chuckle and strode into the room, bending to swipe a clean diaper from the pocket of the baby carrier Kero had dumped on the floor next to Daren's overflowing desk. The queen was looking a bit harassed these days, what with all the conflicts coming at her, but at the same time she managed a aura genuine happiness that had Kero wondering how she managed to stay happy and manage a family and a kingdom at the same time. So far, in Kero's estimate, both were jobs of equally large magnitudes, and she had yet to manage just the family, much less adding in her duties as weaponsmistress and captain to a bunch of loons.

She watched as Selenay stepped around the desk, nimbly avoiding the piles of Daren's belongings and not picking up so much as a dust bunny on her skirt in the process, then quickly stripped and cleaned the baby of the soiled diaper and pinned the baby into a clean one. After quickly checking to make sure Kero's name was on the dirty diaper, Selenay wrapped the ends up so the contents would not leak out on any other laundry and tossed it down the laundry shoot in the next room to Daren's office suite, the room he affectionately named "The Doghouse", since that was where he slept when he angered Selenay. Then she smiled.

"Problem solved. Now, if you two had handled that quickly, you could have done it without even having to take a second breath. Quick is good, when it comes to babies."

Kero made a mental note to do diaper drills later in the evening and nodded at Selenay's advice. Then she stood briskly and picked up the baby carrier.

"Well, thanks for the diaper change, but we must be going. Alberich is watching Dami and the goddess only knows what knew Karsite swear words she's picked up."

Selenay looked up from cuddling the baby with a frown. "You are absolutely not taking this baby away from me."

"You want her for the rest of the day?"

"Goodness, no. But I'll take her later in the evening for an hour or two. It's been ages since I've had a chance to snuggle a baby and someone refuses to give me any more. Says we're getting too old for chidren."

Daren winced and began wandering to The Doghouse, where he began making up the cot.

By the time Kero made it to Acacia's classroom after gathering up Caia and Ianthe, the two other girls were in high spirits and giggling about the peculiar quirks of their teachers. Damini was trotting along beside them, insisting on walking but needing to almost run to keep up with them. Kero was mildly shocked that she had not been summoned from the salle all day with a message that Acacia had been in a fight. However, as she was increasingly aware of the Shin'a'in axiom "Be careful what you wish for", she made sure she never thought about Acacia getting into a fight "out loud".

What she saw when she arrived at the classroom stopped her in her tracks. The girls' chattering stopped abruptly when they saw their older sister sitting on the floor outside the classroom, waiting just like she had been told to for Kero to escort her back home. The little girl looked as if she were a bundle of misery and was doing her best to hide it. Her tunic and breeches were ink-stained and rumpled, and her hair looked as if something sticky had been rubbed in it, causing it to snarl nastily in a way that made Kero wince in sympathy, remembering times when her own hair been so blood matted that it had taken her days to finally get it all untangled.

As they moved closer, Kero saw what Acacia had been trying to hide. A vicious bruise blackened one cheek and Kero began to worry the cheekbone was broken. The thought only floated around in the back of her head, though. Rage streamed to the forefront. Who had _dared_ to hurt _her_ little girl?

Kero did not even pause at the her brain's blithe assertion that Acacia was "hers" in any capacity and merely acted on it, charging forward without thought and pulling Acacia to her feet.

"Who did this to you?"

Acacia glared at Kero in disgust and pulled her arm away. "What do you care?"

Kero paused, mustering an appropriate answer that did not involve teaching Dami any new swear words. Before she could reply, Acacia just nodded.

"Thought so."

"Acacia. Stop."

Acacia stopped.

"I care because right now, I am the guardian of you and your sisters. It is my job to take care of you. Now, tell me who did this."

"None of your business."

Kero reminded herself that she was angry with whoever had hurt Acacia, not Acacia herself. "Acacia," she said with a calm that surprised herself. "I need to know so I pound the cretin into the mud."

:_Hmm__…maybe that wasn't so calm, Chosen._:

:_Screw__ careful, I want revenge._:

Sayvil made a mental sound that sounded suspiciously like a suppressed chuckle. :_Now__, Chosen, you are a role model now. The children don't need to be taught to be so…so…_:

:_Mercenary_: Kero's reply was accompanied by a mental bloodthirsty grin. :_Too__ late. They figure that one out on their own.:_

"Ah! Captain!"

Acacia's teacher had finally managed to todder to the doorway and took in the scene. The little girl did not seem in the least bit cowed by the fearsome Herald, and Dervyl found it interesting the she had no problem standing up to and outright defying the captain while most adults found it difficult to meet her eyes.

"As you can see, Acacia has had an accident today."

Kero turned her wrath on the frail teacher.

"Accident! You call this an accident? It looks like plain bullying to me! Who did this?"

However frail his body, Dervyl's spirit was in no way delicate, and he held his ground easily in the face of Kero's anger. He recognized it as mostly sheer frustration that she could not make Acacia's life at least a little easier and so was able to deflect the brunt of her attack.

"Accidents, Captain. What you see here is the results of slip during craft time. She slipped on some water from a leak in the ceiling, landed in some glue and hit her face on a desk on the way down. She assured me she was quite all right, so I did not summon the healer."

"Accident?" Kero looked to Acacia when she said it. The little girl nodded. "Why didn't you say so? I was all riled up and ready to pound someone for this!"

"Because it was a stupid accident because I have no grace. Mama said it all the time. I have no grace, so I'm destined to be forever tripping and breaking things and no man wants a wife like that." As Acacia said it, Kero detected a trace of a tear, but the little girl somehow stuffed it back inside.

Kero crouched down so she was level with Acacia, eye-to-eye. "Do you really think it is possible for a little girl who is growing as fast as you are to have as much grace as a lady who stopped adding inches to her legs long ago? Every second, you are a different amount of inches. The fact that you coordinate as well as you flat astounds me."

She saw something drift through Acacia's eyes, but it was gone to fast to identify.

"Do you know what?"

"No, what?"

"When I was your age, I fell down so many times that my mother began putting me in breeches so that I could at least see where my feet were and maybe identify what I was tripping over."

"You know what?"

"No, what?"

"It turned out I was tripping over my own two feet."

Acacia giggled, then stuffed it back inside before she could be perceived as being so weak as to giggle in front of The Enemy. Kero, however, had heard the sound, and the embarrassing near-revelation that her first pair of breeches had been a result of a fall down the stairs was worth it. She rose with a sigh and gathered up all the girls.

"We ready to go? It's almost time for dinner."

"Spoooon!" Dami grinned from where she was clutching Dervyl's robes, nearly knocking the old man over.

"Yes, almost time for a spoon."

A sound awoke Kero that night from an exhausted slumber. Her senses told her it was not a threat, and she thought for a moment that it might have been the dog, but her hearing detected his snores from where he slept, laying across the threshold to the girls' room. Thinking it might have been the baby, she rolled over towards the crib and got tangled in partially completed dress she had been stitching when she fell asleep, as well as with the rest of the clothe she had managed to sneak to the market to buy during the day.

Swearing, she untangled herself, then stopped at the sight before her. When they had moved into their new suit, Eldan had placed the rocking chair in front of the two windows in the eastern wall. The cradle Kero had borrowed from the nursery that resided next to the rocker, however was empty. The rocker was not. The creaking of it had woken her up, and she froze in surprise at the sight of Tarma, glowing softly in the moonlight as only one of the spirit kal'enedral could, rocking and crooning to the baby.

The baby did not even seem to be phased that someone who had been dead for several years now was crooning a Shin'a'in lullaby to her, and was merely content to be snuggled and loved. A hand on her shoulder startled Kero, and she turned in surprise to see her grandmother sitting on the bed behind her.

Kethryveris looked just as beautiful as a spirit as she had alive. Like Tarma, she glowed faintly in the moonlight. Her hair was luminous and her eyes sparkled in humor and sympathy.

"I see you have a bit of a challenge on your hands, Granddaughter."

Kero smiled. "A small one."

"Five small ones, to be exact."

Kero looked over at the sound of Tarma's voice. It was different now. The harshness was gone. In its place was a melodious, expressive voice that soothed the rough edges brought on by worry and brought about comfort. She had used that voice well on the baby, who was now sleeping contentedly as Tarma laid her back in the cradle. The Kero's Clanmother straightened and walked over to where Kero and Kethry sat, and took a seat herself on the bed, cross-legged and adroitly avoiding the scattered dress parts and clothe.

"I can't believe that something like this should happen to any children from our family," Tarma growled. Even without the harsh voice, the tone did not loose any of its menace. "Something horrible should happen to that woman and her husband." Tarma paused with a bemused expression, and Kero mentally placed bet herself that Tarma was imagining numerous horrible fates for the girls' parents. A light slap from Kethry brought the Kal'enedral back to the present, and Kero suppressed a grin as Tarma tossed her long, thick braid back over her shoulder in a way that Kero recognized as her "getting down to business" gesture. "I expect those children to be visiting the Clans come summer."

"Yes, Tarma," Kero said obediently, mentally wincing at the challenges such a trip would cause, then she yawned as exhaustion overwhelmed her again. "I'm sorry. I'm just so tired…" her voice trailed off as her head lolled, and a quiet chuckle accompanied the wrapping of arms around her from behind. Kethry eased Kero back to the pillows, then began gathering up dress parts to put in Kero's sewing basket.

"Go to sleep, then, little hawk. We'll take the night shift. Go visit your man."

Tarma's words lulled her off to sleep, where Eldan's soft smile and warm arms greeted her. When she woke in the morning, she found she was fully rested. During the course of her morning stretches and routine, she found her hair had been styled in the myriad of braids of Shin'a'in tradition, tipped with beads that a Shin'a'in might be tempted to call conservative, but on Kero screamed outrageousness. _Never underestimate a Shin'a'in's sense of humor…and never let them near you when you're sleeping. The Bright One only knows what you'll wake up with…_


	7. Trial By Fire

Thanks for the reviews, people! Keep it up!

I forgot a disclaimer for the last chapter, so this one applies to both this and the last chapter. Ya know what? I think I'll just make it apply to the whole story.

**Disclaimer for "Mercenaries Don't Die": I don't own nuthin'.**

Chapter 7

Over the next few weeks they managed to settle into a routine. Their mornings were generally a hectic affair of getting five little girls ready to go to their various destinations. The day usually started around sunrise so they had enough time to get ready, but they usually ended up running to get everyone wherever they had to go and the suite was generally left in a state of disrepair, clothes flung everywhere, toys underfoot and a rapidly growing dog trying to fit himself under the table to catch the scraps of food that were generally sent his way by Damini and Ianthe. Kero had long ago given up on hauling them to the mess hall and Cook had taken mercy on her by sending servants up every morning with food for all of them. Then the clean up process would begin, which inevitably involved Kero kissing one wound or another and the aforementioned clothing scattered all over the suite, including Kero's bedroom. The resultant catastrophe for the girls' room and the candlemarks the clean-up of that room alone had Kero eyeing the wall between her suite and the empty suite next to them speculatively and wondering how much effort it would take to knock the wall out. Then she would remember that would be more she would have to clean in her precious free time and would forget the idea for the time being. Then the mad dash for the classrooms would begin. The Heralds living around them were getting used to the racket of screaming girls and one large dog running down the hallway every morning and the Heralds that were awake were beginning to wave to the little girls as they screeched past them.

The girls had been delighted when they awoke the morning after Tarma and Kethry's midnight visit to discover they too had braids with wildly colored beads and had spent the morning playing "Crazy Shin'a'in" after Kero had explained their Shin'a'in ancestry as best she could. The dog had become a warsteed and Acacia had become a Shin'a'in warrior, defending her "shaman" (Ianthe) and the "princess" (Caia). Damini, who was more interested in trying to figure out how to get into one of Kero's locked weapons chests, became an evil sorceress. Caia had been unphased at the prospect that the Shin'a'in did not have any princesses, and merely pronounced that for the purposes of "Crazy Shin'a'in" there would be a princess. Kero just shrugged and went back to trying to explain why the chests were locked to Damini.

Now Kero was beginning to think she had a handle on the whole childcare challenge, as she thought of it. They had made it an entire month without any broken bones or severed limbs. Surely this had to be a record. So now, in celebration of this amazing feat of childcare, she was treating herself to an afternoon of quiet. The older girls were in class, Damini was spending the afternoon with her favorite Karsite and the baby was currently being passed around by the Queen and every other female Herald that came within a certain radius. The baby had been surprising Kero over the last week. She was loosing the red wrinkled look and was actually starting to look cute, in Kero's opinion. The family resemblance was still unapparent, but Kero was confident she would begin to see it soon.

Kero opened the heavy wooden door and bent with a sigh to pick up the letters that had been slid under the door in her absence.

:_Bill from dress shop, expected that…bill from armorer, did not expect that; thought I told him to charge it to the Bolts' account, not my personal account… Remind me to fix that, love._:

:_Hm? Were you talking to me?_: Sayvil's voice was drowsy and content as she sunned herself in the weak winter sunlight while leaning against the heated wall of the salle.

:_Mm. Remind me to fix the bill with the armorer. Mmph. Here's another one._:

:_Another what?_:

:_Bill. This one is from some merchant named Jarnem. What did I buy from him?_:

:_Shoes._:

:_That's right. For the girls. That's funny; it has been paid._ _I didn't pay it, that's for sure. Don't have enough money this week._:

:_Does it say who paid?_:

:_Says the charge was transferred to the Heraldic account. I didn't do that. Maybe he made a mistake…_:

:_I think I remember Talia saying something to you about the Heraldic Circle covering some things for families._:

:_Things like shoes?_:

:_It would make sense._:

:_I need to check into that. Well, this is interesting._:

:_What would that be?_

By now Kero had made it through the minefield that was the common area and successfully negotiated her way through the doorway to her bedroom. Eldan's things were still mostly piled on the other side of the room as Kero had not had any time to put his things away over the past month. She was hoping he would be back soon. Surely two fully grown and battle experienced Heralds could handle five little girls better than she was currently handling them. She turned and fell back to sprawl across the bed, then raised the letter so she could read it.

:_It's the report from the Herald who tested the girls for Gifts._:

:_About time. Who has what?_:

:_Ianthe is a firestarter, expected that, Damini is mage gifted, expected that. Caia is healer gifted, did not expect that. Bardic maybe, what with all the drama that child produces, but not healer. I should probably look into getting her started at Healer's. Ah. A letter from Healer's demanding I enroll Caia immediately._:

:_Does Acacia have anything?_:

:_ "Results inconclusive." What is that supposed to mean?_:

:_He doesn't know what she has._:

:_Hmph. Just like Acacia. Have to pry any information out of her._ _Baby can't be tested for another few years, obviously._:

"Anyone in here?" Talia's voice called from the door to the suite.

"Do you have anyone under the age of twenty with you?"

"No."  
"I'm in the bedroom."

Talia tripped her way through the common room and almost fell, but managed to grasp the doorframe to the bedroom.

"How do you six survive in here?"

"Mm?" Kero was reading yet another message, this one a status report from the Bolts. "We live just fine. We clean up in the evenings."

"They create this in the morning?"

"Mm-hm."

Talia managed to negotiate the floor of the relatively cleaner bedroom and flopped onto the bed next to Kero.

"I wanted to see how you were doing."

"Tired. Worn out. Exhausted. Happy to have the afternoon free."

Talia smiled, tucking her hands under her face. "I remember when Jemmie was a toddler. He was constantly into things. I thought I was tired when he was a baby, but the toddler years were even worse."

Kero rolled her head so she could look at Talia. "Why haven't you had any more babies?"

"Not enough time." Then she blushed at Kero's quirked eyebrow. "Not like that, you lusty wench. Not enough time to raise two kids and make sure they both get the attention they need. Selenay and I were wondering how you were managing with two full time jobs and five children."

"As you can tell from the state of our common area, not very well. You should see the girls' room."

The dog wandered in and hopped up on the bed, ignoring Kero's order to get down, and made himself comfortable on Eldan's side. Talia grinned as the dog placed his head on Eldan's pillow and heaved a sigh.

"Looks like he's pretty used to that side of the bed, if you ask me," Talia joked, and Kero grinned in response. However, there was an edge of sadness to the grin.

"I keep telling myself I should really stop him from getting up there, but there are nights when I desperately miss having a warm body on that side of the bed. Usually I make him sleep in front of the door to the girls' room, but on those nights I just let him stay there. Pathetic, huh?"

Talia's expression softened. "Not really. How long have you two been sleeping together now?"

"Counting or not counting those few weeks in Karse?"

"Those don't count. Sleeping in a bed, I should say. Or camp cot, now that I think about it. The cave doesn't count."

"Forever."

"Mm-hm. Since we're asking personal questions, why haven't you two been handfasted yet?"

Kero grinned, this time in complete cheer and mischievousness. "We're waiting for the last of the Bolts' bets to expire."

"They still have bets on days? This many years after the war?"

"Yep. Shallan bet ten years."

Talia's eyes glinted. "That's not too far away now, is it?"

Kero saw the glint and shuddered. "Don't even think about it. Just because your wedding got turned into a huge extravaganza doesn't mean mine has to be. Fifty people, maximum, will attend this wedding."

Talia smiled at the mention of a wedding, then frown at Kero's pronouncement. "What about the Bolts?"

"The feast after is a different animal."

Talia grinned. "Ah. I was wondering how the woman who taught us Heralds how to party was going to get off not even having a party for her own wedding."

"That will probably be huge and the gods only know how we're going to pay for that one."

"Will you wear a dress?"

"I haven't even thought about it Talia."

Talia levered her upper body up and regarded Kero cynically. "Kero, you cannot tell me you have not even thought about what you will be wearing but you have thought about the party that will come after."

"I'm a merc, what do you expect? Party first, details later."

Talia snorted. "Right."

"Helloooo?" The voice came from the door to the suite.

"We're in here, Elspeth," Talia called out.

"Oh, good." Elspeth successfully negotiated the minefield and plopped herself on the bed, giving the dog an enthusiastic rub. Kero raised an eyebrow at Elspeth's grin.

"Are we having a little party and someone not tell me?" Kero's voice was wary.

"No." Elspeth sounded perplexed. "Why would you think that?"

"You people in here?" Jeri's voice floated toward them as she too stumbled over clothes and toys. "Hey, people." She shoved the dog out of the way and plumped up Eldan's pillow so she could lounge comfortably. Kero folded her hands over her stomach and regarded the trio that had made themselves comfortable on her bed.

"Anyone else?"

"Did we get the time right?"

Keren and Sherrill stepped through the doorway and each perched on the bed. Kero covered her face with her hands and groaned. "What are you up to?"

"Ah hah!"

Kero jerked her hands down and stared at Talia standing in front of her wardrobe, holding up a long cream silk gown that was beautiful in its simplicity.

"You _do_ have a dress!"

She jumped off the bed and grabbed the gown from Talia, then shoved it back into her wardrobe, quickly closing the doors. "It's not my wedding dress, Eldan and I are not getting handfasted anytime soon, and I don't know what all of you are up, but I don't like it one bit."

Jeri held up a fat purse and jiggled it, making the coins jingle. "We, dear Captain, have been given money and orders to drag you out and make you buy some things for the girls, Eldan and you. A celebration of making it through your first month as an instant family."

Kero leaned back against the wardrobe, folding her arms, and narrowed her eyes at the happy group. "Whose money and whose orders?"

"Daren and Selenay."

"We can pay off these bills, too," Elspeth said, holding up the letters Kero had been reading. "Plenty of time later to go into debt."

"Let me get this straight. You want me to go to the market with you and spend the Queen's money."

They all nodded enthusiastically. Kero raised an eyebrow.

"You want me to go be 'one of the girls.'"

They nodded again.

"You don't want me to sleep, like I was planning on doing because I'm worn out from chasing five children."

Their faces fell. "Come on, Kero," Elspeth wheedled, sounding more like the teenaged princess she used to be and less like the grand mage she was now. "It's just one afternoon and you don't even have to spend your own money. Buy some toys and dresses you don't have to make for the girls, get something nice for Eldan, maybe get some more gem carving supplies, maybe get some clothes that don't have armor plating for yourself…"

Kero raised an eyebrow, then glanced down at her current outfit of breeches, shirt and leather armor tunic.

"I have clothes without armor, Elspeth."

"Really? Why don't you step away from that wardrobe and we can really find out, along with admiring that wedding dress you have tucked in there."

"It's not mine."

"The wardrobe?" Jeri grinned. "If it's not yours, Eldan sure has some strange tastes."

Kero rolled her eyes. "The wedding dress. It's my grandmother's. It got sent to me along with some other things that belonged to her and Tarma. Most of it is in storage, but I kept some things, like the wedding dress, with me, to make sure it stayed safe. Figured maybe one of these days someone might need it. The Bright One only knows I have a ton of cousins who might want to borrow it. Maybe one of the girls will want to use it when she gets married. Caia has already found it and loves it."

"Right." Sherrill chuckled. "Keep saying that, Kero. We all really know why you keep it in your wardrobe instead of tucked away in a chest with the rest of the wedding clothes that go with it, which were also in your wardrobe. You and Eldan hadn't been planning to get married without telling anyone, now were you?"

"No." Kero scratched the back of her head. "Why would you think that?"

"Uh-huh."

"In light of that transgression against the female members of the Heraldic Circle," Talia pronounced, "you, Kerowyn shena Tale'sidren, are herby sentenced to go to the market with the aforementioned female members and to buy frivolous items. Failure to obey this punishment will result in the head of the Bardic Collegium finding out that you and Eldan were planning a secret wedding."

Kero paled. No one could ever say that a ceremony had occurred without the head of the Bardic Collegium weighing in, and the opportunity to crash the wedding of someone like Kero would be impossible to pass up. The resultant wedding would be full of ruffles of flourishes that would kill Kero out of sheer mortification.

"You are a dangerous woman, Talia."

Talia smirked. "I always get what I want, Herald-Captain."

Several hours later, Kero stumbled to the door of the suite, and wished she actually was drunk instead of just feeling drunk. As she had never enjoyed being "one of the girls", she had never participated in an expedition quite like the one she had just completed. Coming on top of her previous exhaustion, she now discovered the expedition had drained the last of her energy reserves and she now wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for the next week. The noise coming from inside the suite convinced her that sleep would be far from coming this night. She braced herself for the onslaught, shifted her various packages, and opened the door.

Alberich looked up with an unmistakable expression of relief as she entered. She had wondered who they had gotten to watch the girls when the shopping expedition progressed well after sundown, and it looked as if Myste and Alberich had gotten the job. Myste was currently chasing a naked Damini with a night shirt. Dami took the opportunity to try to streak past Kero into the hallway, but Kero caught her handily around the waist and lifted the toddler before she could get into the cold hallway.

"Oh, Kero, thank the gods." Myste stood up, dripping wet and out of breath. "How ever do you handle them?"

Kero realized that she, too, was getting soaked from the squirming toddler, who appeared to have just taken a bath. The others were in their night clothes and Alberich was trying to round them up, but inevitably one managed to squirt out of his grasp and take off across the room.

"Troops! Lights out!"

At Kero's barked order, they quickly squared up, turned in unison and marched into Kero's bedroom for a story before lights out, as was their usual routine. Kero grinned at Myste's rounded eyes.

"There's a reason I call them my little mercenaries."

Depositing her parcels on the table to the side of the hearth, Kero hauled Dami up more firmly in both arms, then began to sniff enthusiastically at her neck and down her arms in a game they played. Dami squinched her shoulders up and her eyes closed in preparation for what she knew was coming.

"Hmmm, Dami, you smell good. Almost good enough to eat!"

With that, Kero began to "munch" on the toddler's arms, hands and neck when she could get to it. Dami shrieked with giggles and began squirming and kicking her legs. After a thorough "munching" Kero snagged the nightshirt from Myste and quickly bundled Dami up in it, the set her down and gave her a gentle push in the direction of her bedroom. Dami grinned and pattered through the door to play with her sisters, who, from the sound of it, were currently jumping on the bed.

By now, Alberich has located and chair and sunk down with a groan. Myste was searching for a towel to mop up some of the water that had invaded her clothing. Finding one, she sank down in a chair next to Alberich, who appeared to be dozing off.

"A job for the young, chasing younglings is. Fortunately, my job, it is not."

Kero grinned and kicked his chair. "Up and at 'em, old man. I have a story to read and you won't like waking up in that chair with a toddler dripping porridge all over you. Thanks for the afternoon and evening off."

Alberich cracked an eye open, then yawned and opened the other. In spite of the exhaustion he must be feeling, he appeared happy after his hectic afternoon chasing the hellions that were now affectionately known among the Heralds as the "Minibolts". The former weaponsmaster had aged quite a bit in the last few years, yet still retained the physique that had helped him survive his years in the Karsite army and as a Herald. His long grey hair was contained in a neat queue, and he still favored his dark grey leathers. Myste had not aged quite as much, but she still occasionally gave Kero the impression of an insane owl when she blinked behind her thick glasses, one whose duty it was to burrow to the very bottom of a question and dig up all the answers.

"I'm not sure if I should say the pleasure was ours." Myste grinned. "At least the evening was interesting, not just in the Shin'a'in sense of the phrase."

Alberich chuckled and slapped Myste's knee lightly. "Come. In bed, we should be. Early, the sun awakens." He stood with a groan, grabbed Myste's hand and hauled her up, then ambled toward the door. Then he stopped and regarded Kero with a small smile. "Written, it is, that no more than a person can carry is given to him. Perhaps, the right woman for the right job, found has been." Then he followed Myste out the door.

Kero stood in the wasteland of toys and clothes that was her common area for a few moments, untwisting Alberich's words, then analyzing them. Then she smiled at the compliment, turned to her parcels and extracted a special present for the girls.

"Everyone had better be under the blankets by the time I get there!"

More giggles ensued and she heard the sound of the blankets being pulled back and the sounds of chaos as four little girls found their preferred spaces. Kero waited until the sounds settled, then headed for her bedroom with the book hidden behind her back.

All four had made it under the blankets and had left space for her, as usual. The baby was sleeping in her crib, so Kero pulled the crib over next to the bed. If the baby was awake, she would normally let Acacia or Caia hold the baby during story time. Ianthe and Dami were only allowed to hold the baby if Kero was helping them. Kero toed her boots off, then placed the book where the girls could not see it and pulled off her leather jerkin so she was clad only in her soft shirt and breeches. Then she picked the book back up and hid it behind her back again.

Acacia regarded her levelly. "Aunt Kero. What do you have behind your back?"

"A surprise."

Dami's face lit up. "A pwesent?" The toddler had become remarkably proficient in her language skills over the past month, which, at the moment, mostly consisted of Karsite, Shin'a'in and Rethwellen oaths, along with a few key terms such as "food", "spoon", "water", "potty", "flower" and "present".

"Mmhm. A present for all of you. But you have to share."

"Auntie Kero! What is it?" Caia's voice was impatient and she squirmed in the big bed. As Kero looked over all of them, she was once again surprised at how well they were all doing. They had all gained weight over the past month, and Dami was starting to become downright chubby. Giggles occurred more often than not and mayhem was more controllable if more frequent as they realized the most they would get was time in the corner, or a paddling if something they did was truly dangerous. Acacia was the only hold-out, never offering Kero any affection, but she was following the rules, which Kero regarded as a huge step in the right direction. Kero was no longer The Enemy, but had been downgraded to The Inconvenience.

"Auntie Kero!" Ianthe was squirming now as well. "We wanna know!"

"Oh…all right."

Kero jumped up on the bed and walk right up it, then pulled back the covers, dropped down and wiggled into the small space the girls had left her. She leaned back against the piled pillows and Dami and Ianthe, who was now known as "Tee", assumed their positions snuggled up on either side of Kero. Acacia and Caia, as the two oldest, assumed the outside positions, snuggled up against their sisters. The girls "oohed" over the present. The book of fairy tails had cost Kero a large amount of the purse Daren and Selenay sent, but it was worth it. It was bursting with colorful illustrations and the leather cover was tooled in intricate designs.

"Pwetty…"

"Yes, it is pretty. And it's all ours. We don't have to return it to the library because I bought it at the market today."

"Will it stay on the shelf with the rest of the books? The books that you won't let us look at?" Ianthe sounded disappointed at the prospect that she would not have unlimited access to the book.

"It will go on the shelf, but you can look at this one." The last thing Kero wanted was the girls investigating her books on tactics and strategy. She had enough problems combating the daily skirmishes. If they all turned out to be military geniuses as well, she would have a problem slightly bigger than the problem involving Ancar and Daren's missing army from almost ten years before. "Which story should we read tonight?"

By the end of "Sleeping Beauty", Dami was sound asleep and the rest of the girls were not far behind. Tee rubbed her eyes and settled her head back on Kero's shoulder when Caia and Acacia got up and headed to the girls' room to await being tucked in.

"I wanna sleep with you tonight, Auntie Kero."

Kero frowned. The girls knew the rule. They were only allowed to sleep with Kero if they had a nightmare or if they were ill. She pushed back the blonde curls on Tee's forehead and rested her palm there in a gesture she remembered her mother using on her when she was Tee's age, then frowned.

"You feel a bit warm. Do you feel sick?"

"No." Tee squirmed. "Itchy."

"Itchy?"

"Yeah."

:_Sayvil?_:

:_Your guess is as good as mine, Chosen. I know nothing of human ailments, but if she were a filly, I would say she wanted attention. Surely one night in bed with you will not harm anything._:

Kero pondered for a minute, then nodded decisively. :_You're right. I'll let her sleep with me tonight. If she says she is still feeling strange in the morning, I'll take her to Healer's._:

"All right. You can sleep with me tonight."

Tee nodded and waited for Kero to blow out all the candles, bank the fire, tuck the girls in, and put the bar across the door- more of a measure to keep the girls in than anyone out- before snuggling down with Kero for the night.

" 'Night, Auntie Kero."

"Good night, Tee."

_Pain._

Kero jerked awake to find that her nightmare was reality. Flames roared in the room, and she was shocked for a moment to see that she, too, was in flames. The choking air dragged her back to reality and she quickly rolled to the floor in an effort to put out the flames in her shirt and one leg of her breeches.

"Tee!" She gagged on the thick air and forced herself to call out again. "Tee! Baby, wake up!" Kero dragged herself upright only to see the most horrifying sight of her entire life. Flames were literally crawling out of Ianthe, who lay unmoving on the bed, which was now completely engulphed. The baby's crib was starting to catch, and Kero was amazed the crib had been preserved this long. She made the heartbreaking decision in an instant. She did not know if she could save Ianthe, so she moved for the baby instead, grabbing her up and heading for the girls' room.

:_Sayvil!_: she screamed. :_Help!_:

Her mental screams were met by the thunderous pounding of Companion hooves on the door to the suite. Kero did not stop, just continued heading for the girls' rooms, on her hands and knees, now, in an effort to find clearer air. Flames were running down the stone walls of the common area like water, and Kero was terrified of what she might find on the other side of the door to the girls' room. The dog was in there, determinedly pulling the girls from their beds. None were stirring, and Kero did not let herself pause to think of the implications. She started grabbing girls and dragging them to the common area. Sayvil burst through the door and Kero heedlessly threw Acacia's still body on Sayvil's back. Heralds flooded into the room and took the baby from her, grabbing up Caia and Damini, trying to force her to leave the suite.

"No!"

Kero struck out at the hands around her, using all her lethal expertise to get away from them and run back to her bedchamber, not able to breathe at all now. All she could think was to get to Ianthe. She could barely see when she entered the room, her eyes tearing from the toxic air, the intense heat and the blinding light of the flames. Heedless of any more damage that could be inflicted to her, she reached out and grabbed Ianthe. Kero was vaguely aware of Sayvil screaming in her mind, of her own screams of pain, but ignored them in an effort to save the little girl.

"Kero!"

Alberich appeared at her side and forcibly pulled her back, beating out the renewed flames in her clothes as he blocked all her attempts to make him release her. She screamed and raged at him, using every skill she knew to beat him off her, but he grimly carried her flailing body from the flames. Once outside, he pinned her to the ground, but was knocked off with a well-aimed elbow. Kero dragged her body off the ground, only to be held from running back into the flames when Alberich resorted to brute force and wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms. She was no longer aware enough to use what she had spent a lifetime learning and merely struggled, pulling against Alberich's larger and stronger body. Realizing she was no match, she resorted to her voice. She screamed, sobbed and yelled at the Heralds who were laboring to put out the fire, begging them to save her little girl.

Alberich hung on grimly and prayed that he would be able to save Kero, knowing the remaining children would need her. He was aware that Kero was in desperate need of a Healer, but he yelled at the Healers that tried to approach to back off, knowing Kero would most likely kill anyone not trained to defend themselves in her effort to get to Ianthe. His heart broke with every screaming sob that tore through her body, and he knew Kero would never be the same and would always carry this sadness with her. As he watched, the flames seemed to crawl out of the walls, and Alberich began to realize this fire was not natural.

:_Kantor-_:

:_I see it. Firestarter. The child might as yet live._:

Alberich turned to yell for Griffon, but the Herald was already galloping up on his Companion, followed closely by Elspeth, Darkwind, Talia and Dirk. Abruptly, Kero's knees gave and Alberich was forced to support her weight as the fight seemed to melt out of her. The Heralds and Guardsmen who had been fighting the fire were no longer concentrating on putting the fire out but keeping it from spreading. Elspeth and Darkwind moved quickly, setting up spells to keep the fire from spreading while Griffon leaped off his Companion's back and ran straight into the flames.

Kero's screams had died away and she merely lay in Alberich's arms, fighting to breathe through the lung damage and sobs, staring at the flames. Talia knelt before them and smoothed Kero's hair from face, careful of burns, and looked into Kero's eyes. The heartbreak and desperation broke her own heart, and she felt tears well up. Then Talia summoned her strength, and entered Kero's mind. The pain, guilt and recriminations cut deep and Talia knew she had her work cut out for her. She also knew if she failed, four little girls would most likely be searching for a new mother figure, if they lived. Talia began to battle.

What seemed like candlemarks later, but what was in reality only a few minutes, Talia was brought back to herself by shouts. She looked up to see Griffon running from the burning suite, carrying a bundle that dripped fire behind him. He was using his own firestarting Gift to shield him from the flames, and he headed straight for the nearest source of water he could find. Dirk ran behind him, knowing his experience in training extreme Gifts would most likely be of some help in what he knew they would have to do. Griffon slid to a stop by the well he himself had trained by, and Dirk drew up a pail of water to dump over the pair in order to give Griffon some relief from the constant battling he was doing with his Gift. It slowed the flames for a moment and Griffon drew a breath.

"Can you do this?"

Dirk nodded. "With help. Talia!"

At his call, Talia came running, and her stomach lurched at the sight of more flames beginning to crawl from the child. Dirk grabbed her hand and brought her attention back to him.

"We need to seal off her Gift."

Talia winced and nodded. It was a brute strength approach, and the only one that could save the child before Reaction killed her. She drew a deep breath, knelt next to them, and began battling again.


	8. Home Sweet Home

Hey, everyone! Sorry about the cliffie, but I had to go to bed! It was around four in the morning when I finished that chapter. Thanks for the great reviews, keep it up! This chapter is a bit long, and I rushed some things to get the plot moving along. I also realized that I was spelling Sayvel's name wrong. Don't much like this chapter, but we all seem to have a chapter that we don't like. The last scene is cute, but it is **rated for interrupted extracurriculars and language**. Standard disclaimer: yada yada. Enjoy!

Chapter 8

She couldn't breathe.

She heard the voices murmuring above her, but she could not get enough air to tell them that she could not breathe. Her world had narrowed to the pain and the struggle to breathe. Eventually, she grew too tired to struggle any more and gave up.

"She's stopped breathing!"

Curses sounded around the room and Healers flooded into the room in an effort to save the life of the brutally burned woman lying on the lamb's wool padding. Hands found unburned skin and Healing energy flooded in, directed by the Healer in charge of this particular case. They bolstered her flagging strength, breathed for her and worked to repair the damage the heat and the toxins had wreaked. Eventually, the Healers began to grow weak, and the senior Healer signaled a stop. They stood warily, counting her weak breaths and prayed it would be enough to hold her.

"We'd better have some other Healers ready to come in. Between her and the children, we'll need all the help we can get."

Ratha slid to a halt in front of the doors to the Healer's Collegium and Eldan leapt from his back. He had been with the Bolts in their fortress when the mindcall had reached him, relayed by Heralds until Ratha had picked it up. Eldan had been waiting for Shallan to finish the budget report for this latest expedition so Kero could approve it and order the books updated. Kero had often laughingly called the report the Scandals and By-blow report, due to the section which defined all damages paid to taverns, town governments and women who were confirmed as pregnant with a Skybolt baby. He remembered he was laughing with Shallan over how Kero would never believe this report because no damages had been paid out this time. Then Ratha had called to him and he had run out the door, not even pausing to grab his gear, and mounted Ratha without even stopping. Ratha had surged into a gallop and an interminable amount of time later, they were home. He did not even remember if he had told Shallan that her captain was injured, possibly dying.

Daren stood when Eldan appeared in the hallway outside Kero's room and grabbed the Herald before he could burst into her room. Eldan fought briefly, then realized who was holding him back and stopped.

"What happened?" Eldan's voice was hoarse from cold and worry. The Herald looked the worse for wear after his month in Evendim, and Daren had no doubt that he had been looking forward to coming home and spending time in a hot bath and a warm bed, in that order.

"There was a fire. Ianthe's Gift went out of control. From what we can tell, she was sleeping with Kero when it happened. Kero was burned then, and she was burned again when she went back in to try to save Ianthe. She also sucked in a lot of smoke while saving the other girls and when she went back for Ianthe."

"How bad?"

Daren winced.

"Daren. How bad?"

"Not good. She's stopped breathing once already." Curses echoed from the room and they heard the Healer's scrambling. "Make that twice, now."

Eldan paled and Daren forced him to sit on the bench he had vacated. He was unaware of Talia putting a hand on his shoulder, or Alberich patting his back before turning his head away to hack into a handkerchief a Healer had given him, suffering from the smoke he had inhaled. From another room, this one darkened and the door only opened a crack, a weak whimpering began. Eldan heard murmuring, but the whimpers turned into a wail.

"Auntie Kero!"

Eldan began to rise, knowing he had to take care of the girls since Kero could not, but froze when he heard some soothing her.

"Hush, Ianthe. I know it hurts, but you need to sleep. It will feel better, then."

Talia watched Eldan's face harden at the mention of the child's name and knew that she now had two more hard battles on her hands. One was to get Kero to realize that what had happened was not her fault and that Ianthe was not dead. The other was to get Eldan to realize that it was not Ianthe's fault that Kero had been so badly wounded.

Gradually the cries subsided, as well as the sound of the Healers scrambling in Kero's room. The senior Healer stepped out and paused when he saw Eldan there. He nodded to himself, squared shoulders that had been drooping with exhaustion and walked across the hall to stand in front of Eldan.

"She's stable, for the moment. She's given us a few scary moments, but I think we're past them for now. Her lungs were very damaged from the heat and smoke. Simply trying to breathe was exhausting her, which is why she stopped breathing. We've Healed as much damage to her lungs as we can, for now, and we are continuously feeding her energy to keep her strength up. We're recharging her fast than she's using it now, so in a few minutes we'll stop giving her energy and let her rest. It's what she needs more than anything else right now, other than some encouragement. The next few weeks are going to be very hard for her."

Eldan was vaguely aware of Talia working to calm him and was thankful, but he could tell the Healer was holding something back.

"What else is there?"

He sighed. "We're worried about the guilt factor. You Heralds have shown a strong tendency to guilt yourselves into thinking you don't deserve to live. As far as Kerowyn knows, Ianthe is dead. She collapsed before we could tell her Ianthe was going to make it. Kerowyn doesn't even know if the other girls are in danger or dying. I'm thinking, since you're here, Talia might be able to go get some rest. You're just as good for Kerowyn, right now."

Eldan nodded. "What about the girls. How are they?"

"They are all alive, but only Ianthe has regained consciousness. Her Gift protected her from the effects of the fire, but she is suffering from Reaction. A five year old handles Reaction even worse than a full grown Herald, so we have our hands full with her. We thought we were going to have to be the most worried over the baby, since she was in the same room as Kerowyn and Ianthe, but she appears only to be suffering from the smoke, as well as the other girls. They should all regain consciousness and make full recoveries. Caia's Gift is even helping her to Heal."

Eldan nodded again, then swallowed. "I want to see her."

The Healer nodded and stood back as Eldan rose. "You should prepare yourself. She doesn't look quite as pretty as she normally does right now."

She did not look as bad as he thought she would. Her face was lightly burned compared to her arms and hands, only showing redness and blisters. He could not see her arms and hands under the layers of bandages, and he knew those were the worst. Other burns were left uncovered, he saw when the Healer pulled the light sheet back so he could see all her injuries, showing a range of light burns to thick blisters. Her right leg was the worst of the uncovered burns, blisters twisting around it, showing how the fire had swirled around her like water. In spite of all of this, he laughed when he saw her hair, and sank down in the chair next to the bed. Her hair was shorter than ever, and he knew she would think she looked like a fluffy chicken when she saw the white down sticking up.

He traced an unburned cheekbone with a fingertip, then placed a gentle kiss there.

"You're not having a good hair month, are you, love?" he whispered in her ear.

Time did not exist for Kero. Her reality was swirling pain and guilt. Now that it was easier to breathe, she was realizing that she did not want to breathe. She had been so proud that she and the girls had made it a month without any major catastrophes. Now Ianthe was dead, and it was all her fault. Surely someone who was better at raising children that she was would have recognized what was wrong with Ianthe and gotten some help. Instead, Kero had left her behind to burn.

She was vaguely aware of Talia floating with her in the pain and guilt, but she ignored Talia's pleas. She had messed up, and that was that. Eldan came then, in a dream. He told her that Ianthe was alive, and Kero put the dream off as a hallucination. After all, why would Eldan come to her and lie? He could not lie mind to mind, no Herald could. Then Tarma came to her.

_"Enough of this."_

_Kero was abruptly away from the gray haziness that made up her existence and was in the practice ring in the cave beneath Kethry's Tower, a sword in her hand and clad in practice armor. Tarma stood across the circle from her, clad in her own practice armor with her own sword clasped in her hand._

_"Defend yourself."_

_Kero's sword rose automatically into a guard position and Tarma attacked. The attack, as always, was wicked, but the defense was lackluster at best. Tarma disengaged and glared at Kero derisively._

_"Pathetic," she spat. "I taught you better than this. Defend yourself."_

_She attacked again, and again Kero barely made any effort at a defense. Tarma drove forward and pinned Kero against the stony wall, and Kero cried out as the rocks dug into her back. Tarma leaned in, locking their swords, and looked Kero right in the eyes._

_"Do you want to die? Fine. I'll accommodate you."_

_Without letting go of Kero's gaze, Tarma disentangled their swords, and drove her own sword into Kero's abdomen. Kero's breath left her in a gasp, but Tarma's ice blue eyes never left Kero's as her knees weakened. Tarma's arm around her waist eased her to the ground. With an abrupt jerk, Tarma pulled the bloody sword out, then knelt beside her student. Hot blood was streaming out of Kero and pooling beneath her, and Kero uselessly pressed her hand against the wound, trying to stem the flow. Tarma smoothed the hair off Kero's forehead and gently brushed away tears._

_"I have given you what you want. You are dying. Right now, that man of yours is standing back against a wall, watching Healers trying to save you when they have no idea what is killing you. There is a child standing next to him, and your betrayal of her is stabbing her just as surely as I've stabbed you."_

_"I've betrayed no one but Ianthe," Kero whispered. "I saved them from myself."_

_Tarma lay on the ground next to her and turned Kero's face so they were once again eye to eye. "He waited ten years for you; he followed you in your dreams to all the places he could not go, when he knew you were not yet ready to face the life you were meant to lead. She saved her sisters, traveled thousands of leagues through weather most seasoned mercenaries would not test, to bring them to the person she knew would be the best."_

_"They were wrong."_

_"They were right."_

_Kero's strength was weakening fast and she felt her heart begin to stutter. "They are better off without me."_

_"They are here only for you. Without you, they are nothing but the remains of what could have been."_

_The tears were increasing in speed, and Kero became desperate as Tarma's patient logic began to sink in where everyone's desperate pleas had fallen short. "I killed her."_

_"You saved the others. The lives of the many weigh more than the lives of the few. Simple logic, Captain."_

_"She deserved better. I should have protected her."_

_"She was sent to you to make your life brighter. Life is not just about what you do for the people around you, ke'a'char. Think of what she did for you. Then think of what you still need to do for the others, think of what they still need to do for you."_

_Kero's heart stuttered again and her breathing slowed. She was struggling to breathe again, but she did not understand why. It would be so easy to let go… Tarma's eyes bored into hers, and she felt her heart begin to ache for the little girl that should have been, and for those that still were._

_"I miss her so much." Her breathing hitched again, but this time it was from the tears. "I miss all of them. Send me back. I want to go back."_

_Tarma closed her eyes in relief, then laced her fingers through Kero's over the wound. As the practice ring began to shrink around them, Tarma moved closer. "Listen closely, little hawk. Not all is what it seems. Look for the truth in all things, in all people, in all events. Through this, you will find what you have always been looking for."_

Kero's body jerked under the hands of the Healers, and she abruptly began fighting them, hands sweeping wide in a reflexive defensive gesture, and she gasped for breath. Sweet air poured into her lungs then left in a hissing exhale as the pain swept back through her.

"Easy, Captain." The senior Healer pressed his hand to shoulder and eased her pain as she struggled for another breath. Gradually, she forced herself to relax and her labored breathing eased, settling into a smooth, healthy rhythm.

When she opened her eyes, Eldan felt his world center once more, and the tension left his shoulders. Acacia stepped away from him and ran towards the bed. She stopped a few scant inches away and planted her hands on her hips, her shoulders squared and her feet planted firmly on the tile floor.

"What did you think you were doing?"

Kero smiled weakly at the indignation in Acacia's voice. "Taking a nap."

"Take a nap some other time. You're busy, right now."

"I am?"

Acacia nodded decisively in a way Eldan recognized as pure Kero. "You are. You're taking care of us."

Kero met Eldan's eyes over Acacia's head, and she recognized his love for her, felt it warming the depths of her soul. "I guess I am."

"I thought you were going to die." Acacia's comment dragged Kero's attention back to her. Eldan stepped forward and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Acacia, you should know by now that mercenaries don't die." Eldan's comment drew a weak grin from Kero.

"They don't? Then what do they do?"

"Ask me again in a few years."

"I mean it, Kero! Sit down and stay there!" Eldan's voice was stern as he stood in front of her, arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing his favorite soft shirt and breeches, today, and his hair had been pulled back in a tail in deference to the physical activity he was doing this day. Behind him, Alberich walked in through the door, Dami attached to one leg and Ianthe the other.

He was carrying the baby's new cradle, which, in all actuality, was an old family cradle that had been in Eldan's family for generations. The wood gleamed in the sunlight falling through the windows of their new home, which was quite a bit bigger than the suite they had been in previously. Their new home, however, was not a suite. It was actually a cottage that had been built over the past two weeks by an army of Heralds, Bolts and artisans in a gesture that had stunned Kero. She supposed it was probably at least partially driven by survival instinct. After all, when Ianthe's Gift went Rogue, it took out a large portion of the Herald's wing.

The sight of Ianthe still startled Kero, even after two weeks of recovery and knowing that Ianthe was alive and had only suffered a bad Reaction. When Kero had opened her eyes the next morning to see her, she thought for sure she was being haunted by the child's ghost. When Talia had entered the room and greeted the girl, Kero had almost stopped breathing again. A few minutes of reassurances later, Kero had gladly accepted the fact that Ianthe was alive and kicking.

The sound of Eldan clearing his voice dragged her back from her woolgathering. "I'm not an invalid, Eldan. At least let me do something." Her voice was still a bit hoarse from the smoke she had breathed, and her hands and arms were still lightly bandaged, but other than that, she considered herself completely recovered.

"Really? Then who is the Healer over to see every day? Because it certainly isn't me."

Kero rolled her eyes before she thought about it, then crossed her own arms over her chest, albeit a bit more gently than Eldan had. "I'm fine, Eldan."

"Then why are you limping?"

"My boots are rubbing." Kero had been dismayed to discover that the burns had taken away all of the calluses she had spent years building up on her hands and on her right foot. That was why her hands and arms were still bandaged. The skin was extraordinarily sensitive, and she was embarrassed that her hands were as smooth as the baby's pink fists. Her right foot was not as bad as her hands, so she was now permitted to wear soft boots with thick socks. That, however, did not seem to be preventing the blister that appeared to be forming on her heel. "Eldan, if I do not do something soon, I am going to go crazy."

"Here." Eldan plucked the baby from his mother, who had entered the cottage behind Alberich. The baby was awake and looking for food, kicking her tiny feet and demonstrating her latest trick, smiling. He dumped the baby in Kero's arms. "Someone is hungry. Go sit in the bedroom and feed her and play with her. Then get her to go to sleep."

"Something other than BD, Eldan."

"Baby Duty not exciting enough?"

Kero squirmed. "Really, Eldan-"

"Eldan." Eldan's mother was a formidable woman who had the capacity to make even Kero squirm. Now she leveled her dark gaze on her younger son. "I was enjoying that baby perfectly well. You will give her back to me and let your woman do what she very well pleases. She's a fully fledged mercenary, you know."

Eldan squirmed for a moment, then removed the baby from Kero's arms and transferred her back to his mother's arms.

"At least try to go easy on yourself, Kero. Let someone else do the lifting. You've got Bolts and other Heralds to help with all of that. Maybe just some unpacking."

Kero knew a compromise when she heard one and knew it was the best she was going to get.

"Fine, no heavy lifting." That did not mean she could not do some "light" lifting.

"No light lifting either."

"Eldan-"

"Kero." Eldan stepped forward and stopped her protests with a light kiss. "Indulge me. Please."

Kero growled in exasperation. "Fine. I'll be in Caia and Ianthe's room, helping Talia and Jeri."

The cottage was everything Kero had ever hoped for in a home of her own. It was situated on the edge of Companion's Field, with a view of a grove out the back windows and view of the palace and salle from the front. The floors were smooth wood, and the price of that alone boggled Kero's mind. However, much to Kero's dismay, she found that the cottage had been ordered built by the Queen and all of the materials and labor had been donated by friends and artisans. While the stone walls of the cottage might not offer much in the way of cutting down drafts, thick draperies strategically placed over windows and tapestries on walls more than made up for the stone. The glass in the windows was of much higher quality than Kero had ever expected to be able to afford, and she had been as delighted as the girls were that Talia had personally picked out drapes and blankets to follow a color scheme for each of the bedrooms. While building a cottage big enough for each of the girls to have their own bedroom was impossible, there were enough bedrooms so that each girl only had to share with one sibling. Acacia, being the oldest, had her own room, though it was smaller than the rooms the other girls shared. While Acacia, Caia and Ianthe's rooms were on one side of the cottage, the nursery and Kero and Eldan's room were on the other side. The nursery connected to the bedroom through a wooden door that could be firmly shut when the girls became older and were ready to not have the instant access that door afforded for Kero and Eldan. Situated between the two sets of rooms was a common area and cooking area. While Kero had already determined that floor cushions and chairs would be grouped around the fireplace in the common area, which was the forward most area, she had yet to figure out what to do with the cooking area in the back of the cottage.

:_You cook in it, loon._:

:_Easy enough for you to say, hayburner. You don't have to cook._ _I wonder if I can get Eldan to do the cooking. He's much better at it than I am._;

These musings brought her into Caia and Ianthe's room, where Caia was holding court from her bed, leisurely directing Talia and Jeri in the placement of a tapestry on the far wall. Kero had solved part of the problem of losing their belongings in the fire by bringing Tarma and Kethry's belongings out of storage. That was where the tapestries came from, and also where the gown Caia was currently wrapped in came from. The gown was one of Kethry's, and Kero almost grinned as she realized it was the gown she had used to make Daren see the light all those years ago. The sleeves of the gown hung well past the little girl's fingertips while the hem of the skirt flowed over little toes to pool on the floor next to the bed. Someone, most likely Jeri, had piled Caia's blonde hair on top of her head a complicated twist that was currently in fashion at Court. The result made Caia look like an exact, if slightly out of date, replica of a Court butterfly, and Kero once again felt quite a bit of relief that the little girl would soon be buried up to her eyeballs in Healer texts and not have time to become fully involved at Court. Acacia curled her lip at any other child she saw dressed in current Court fashions, so Kero was sure she would not have to worry about her getting caught up in Court intrigue, and Ianthe was currently worshipping anyone who could tell her more about anything. Ianthe's current favorite topics included science and law, so Myste was the current favorite. Damini was only interested in her toys, pots and pans, but the amount of time she spent with Alberich was making Kero suspicious of another budding merc, as well as the fact that Damini only deemed it necessary to talk to Kero when food or fighting were in the offing. The baby, being a baby, had completely stumped Kero, but she figured a few more years would bring clues of future talents.

"There!" Caia rose up to jump on the bed in her excitement, then stopped when she saw Kero leaning against the door frame. She cast a guilty look, then carefully gathered the gown up around her and assumed a very ladylike seat on the bed. "Thank you, Aunt Talia and Aunt Jeri. It looks very pretty."

Kero smiled and straightened, then wandered over to sit on the bed next to Caia. Once settled, she looked around the room. While the color scheme, pink, might not appeal to her, Kero knew it was Caia's favorite color and Ianthe did not care what color the drapes on her window was, just as long as they kept the cold out. Talia appeared to have gone overboard on the pink. Pink drapes, of course, but Talia had also managed to procure pink blankets and rugs. Kero also spied pink slippers underneath Ianthe's bed and pink ribbons in Caia's hair. There were feminine frills everywhere and Kero once again thanked every god and goddess she could think of that she had the other Heralds to rely upon when it came to things like this. As she looked around, Caia leaned companionably against her, and Kero's hand rose automatically to stroke soft blonde hair. Since she no longer had enough hair to occupy her hands with, Kero often found herself fiddling with a lock of hair of the girl nearest her.

A yawn from Caia interrupted her thoughts, and Kero realized that Caia had worn herself out this afternoon. At the ripe age of six, Caia stoutly reminded Kero that she did not need a nap, but Kero had discovered that an afternoon quiet time made life amazingly simpler for her family.

"I think it's quiet time."

"Me, too." Caia nodded emphatically, then kicked off her own pink slippers while yawning again. Alberich appeared in the doorway while Caia pulled back her blanket, then snuggled under it so Kero could tuck her in. Damini was sound asleep against his shoulder, drooling a bit on his dark grey leathers, while Ianthe drooped against one of his legs.

"Come on, Te. Quiet time."

Ianthe pulled herself away from Alberich's leg and climbed into the other bed to be tucked in by Kero as well. Talia and Jeri slipped past Alberich to help Eldan and the rest move other pieces of furniture into the cottage while Kero, Caia and Ianthe went through their routine, pulling Alberich with them and gently closing the door. Caia and Ianthe were asleep within minutes, and Kero slipped out the door to round up the other girls. After a minor skirmish with Acacia, all of the girls were settled and the helpers were taking a break, lounging in the warmth of the early spring day. It was amazing to Kero that not too long ago they had been in the middle of a raging blizzard. Now, six weeks later, they were basking in the warmth of the sun and enjoying a lunch outside brought by the servants.

Kero stationed herself beneath a tree with Sayvel, Eldan and Ratha, leaning comfortably against Sayvel's sun-warmed shoulder and enjoying a light repast. When the edge had been taken off her hunger, she realized she was just as sleepy as the girls were and found herself dozing.

"Hey, sleepy head." Eldan's words and a gentle nudge brought her reluctantly back to real life.

"Mm?"

"I think Elspeth wants to talk with you."

"Talk later, sleep now."

"It's important, Kero." Elspeth's voice startled her back to full awareness. "It's about the girls."

Kero sat up and rubbed sleep from her eyes, then focused on Elspeth's face. Elspeth had grown up a lot in the past few years, and the impression of aging was not due to the bleaching effects of the magic she worked with. Her eyes showed the knowledge she had gained and the lessons she had learned, as well as the joy and sorrow she had experienced. Now Elspeth was addressing her from her position as Herald-Mage instead of just plain Elspeth.

"What's wrong with the girls?"

Elspeth sighed. "It's what is wrong with their Gifts that is worrying me. I'm sure you've noticed that their Gifts surfaced at incredibly young ages."

Kero leaned against Eldan and chewed on her lower lip for a moment. "I thought they were a bit young, but since no one said anything I didn't think anything of it. Was I wrong to think that?"

Elspeth quickly shook her head. "Since this last trouble with Ianthe is the only real trouble the girls have exhibited with controlling their Gifts, outside the usual trouble any young child can produce, no one thought to tell you there might be trouble. I, however, think there is trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Eldan's voice was pitched low to keep those around them from overhearing the conversation.

"I think their Gifts were triggered early, on purpose, by a mage."

Kero raised an eyebrow, and Elspeth recognized it as the first stage of anger. "Are you saying that someone is using them?"

Elspeth was glad that she was not the target of the anger that was about to erupt from Kero as she nodded her head. "I think someone, some mage, specifically, is using them."

"Why?" Eldan's voice was calm and collected, a direct reciprocal of outraged protectiveness that was clouding Kero's mind.

"Who cares about why, I want to know who it is!"

"Kero." Eldan tried to calm Kero with his voice, but he knew she would not calm until she had worked through her initial anger. The previously cold, almost emotionless mercenary had retreated in the face of aroused protective instincts. "We need to know why before who, so that we can go to the source of the problem. You know that, you and Alberich taught us that."

Kero growled. "I still want whoever it is."

Elspeth bit back a smile. "You'll get the person. If anyone can, it's you." She sobered abruptly. "As for why, I think they're using the girls to get to you."

"Me? What have I done lately to make someone that mad?"

"Do we really need to get a Bard in here to remind you?" Eldan's voice held an intimate humor that told Elspeth it was an inside joke.

"No Bards, dammit." She muttered under her breath, and Elspeth caught something about bounties. "Other than our favorite enemies and the occasional terrorized Bard, I've been quiet the last few years. No personal enemies that I know of, only the enemies of Valdemar."

"Well, we had better get working on that. In the meantime, I want to put shields on all of the girls. They'll be able to use their Gifts, but there can be no outside influence. It will make training them interesting, but if we need to I'll figure out something to let their teachers access their Gifts."

Kero nodded, past her initial anger and into thinking mode. "Is there something we can do trace where this outside influence was coming from?"

"Leave that to me." With that, Elspeth rose and stalked across the grass back towards the palace.

They left a window open in their bedroom, that night. Ever since the fire, Kero had been unable to sleep without a window or door open. Talia had assured her that the irrational fear would pass, but Kero occasionally had doubts as to whether or not she and Eldan would ever be able to sleep without waking up freezing in the morning or with a passel of little girls and one large dog that had crept into their bed through the open door during the night.

The girls were all tucked into their beds, and Eldan was banking the fire in the common area while Kero worked with a practice stave off to one side. She was going through some easy pattern dances, working to build up calluses on her palms and reteach her muscles the nimble flexibility they had possessed before the fire. When she stepped back into her original position after going through a full pattern, Eldan stepped before her and gently drew the stave from her hands. The skin was pink with irritation, but no blisters were forming.

"I think you're done for the night."

"Really?" Kero grinned at him, feeling suddenly flirtatious. "But I'm wide awake."

Eldan's grin matched hers. "Well, then, we'll have to do something about that."

He placed the stave on top of the mantle, where the girls could not get to it, then lightly clasped her hand and led her to their bedroom. A few kisses and a few snorts of laughter as Kero's fingers, which had yet to regain their original dexterity, tangled in the laces of Eldan's shirt later, they made it to the bed and had the door closed. Eldan's was nibbling his way along her jaw when there was a light knocking at the door.

"Hold that thought."

With that, he was up and at the door like lightening, opening it to reveal Ianthe, one thumb in her mouth and the other snuggling a soft blanket against her cheek.

"What's wrong, Te?" Eldan's previous blame of the girl had been soothed away by Talia and a solid smack upside the head by Kero.

"Can't sleep."

"Why not?"

"Monster."

Eldan almost growled under his breath, but stopped himself. "Where's the monster?"

"Closet."

"All right." Eldan grabbed up his sword from the weapons rack that had been installed high off the floor to prevent little hands from grabbing sharp objects. Then he followed Ianthe to her and Caia's room. Caia's light snores reassured him that the "monster" in no way affected her, so he proceeded right to the closet, opened, and began to systematically search it. When his searched turned up nothing more than clothes, toys and shoes he demonstrated the lack of monsters to Ianthe, tucked her back into bed, then fairly sprinted across the common area and back to Kero. She chuckled as he closed the door, then jumped back onto the bed, quickly assuming his previous position.

"Now. Where were we? Aha."

He resumed his previous ministrations, and had managed to relieve Kero of her tunic, leaving her in her shirt and breeches, before another knock at the door interrupted them. Eldan cast Kero a glare as she muffled a laugh, then rose once again to answer the door. This time, it was Caia.

"What's wrong, Ky?"

"Can't sleep."

"Why not?"

"Monster."

That stopped him for a moment. "Ky, I just checked your closet for Te. There were not monsters in there."

Caia looked devastated. "But it's making sounds and moaning and scratching! Te was too scared to get out of bed, but it's really scary, Uncle Eldan!"

"Want me to rout this one, Eldan?" Kero's voice shook with laughter, and he cast her another look of exasperation.

"You stay right where you are and remember where I left off. I'll be right back."

Once again he grabbed his sword and followed Caia back to her room. When Eldan reentered their bedroom, looking somewhat sheepish, Kero began to chuckle again in amusement. "What happened?"

"There really was a monster in their closet."

"Oh?"

"The dog had snuck in there when I wasn't looking after the last search and got stuck in there when I closed the door."

Kero grinned and opened her arms to him. "Well, then Hero, come get your reward."

Eldan grinned back, more than willing to comply, but his headlong dive back into bed was stopped by another knock. This time, Kero was beginning to look a bit frustrated as he headed back for the door. This time, it was Damini.

"What is it, Dami?"

"No sleep!"

:_At least it's a variation._: Kero commented.

"Why don't you want to sleep."

"Sleep with Auntie Kero."

"I'm sleeping with Auntie Kero tonight."

That stopped her for a second. "All sleep with Auntie Kero!" With that happy pronouncement, Damini toddled around Eldan, heaved herself up on the bed and settled herself against Kero. Before Eldan could say anything, the other girls poured in and assumed their favorite positions on the bed, much to Eldan's consternation, since they took over his half. When the dog ambled in and took over his pillow, he realized he'd had enough. Even Acacia was in bed with Kero, snuggled up, happy as a clam. After all, where her sisters went, she went.

"This is not going to work. Every go back to your own beds."

The girls ignored Eldan and went about their business of settling down. Kero was doing her best not to laugh at the growing frustration on Eldan's face.

"Girls, I think Uncle Eldan wants me to himself tonight. You've had me for the last six weeks."

Acacia snorted. "He's had you for the last ten years. We're sleeping with you."

"Everyone, go to your beds."

Everyone ignored her, except for Eldan. Conceding defeat, he began to shuffle the girls around and kick the dog off the bed. When he was settled, with only Damini managing to wriggle back between them, he growled in her ear, "We have other ways."

_The sun was warm and Kero was amused that once again, she had long hair. The grass was long and golden, and a new addition to their dream, a gurgling stream, provided soothing sounds. Eldan rested on one elbow next to her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she lay on her back, basking in the warmth._

_"How's this?"_

_"Mm." Kero all but purred in contentment. "Much better."_

_"Good." Eldan grinned and resumed his previously interrupted attack. Things were progressing quite nicely until Kero abruptly put her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him back._

_"I can't."_

_Eldan was perplexed. "Can't what?"_

_"We can't do this, Eldan!"_

_"Why not? We're in our own heads!"_

_"There are four little girls snuggled in bed with our bodies right now. This isn't right!"_

_"I say again, we're in our heads."_

_"What if we talk in our sleep?"_

_"Kero, neither of us talks. You snore-"_

_"I do not snore!"_

_"How would you know?"_

_"Because I'm up all night with your snoring."_

_"Unlikely, since-"_

_"Stop trying to change the subject."_

_"All right." Eldan rolled off her and onto his own back, steepling his hands on his chest. They lay like that for a few minutes, then Eldan sighed._

_"So. How are you?"_


	9. Toddler Troubles

For those of you who ask questions in the reviews or notice something strange that just doesn't quite seem to go along with the books and I don't reply, the reason is because it will be answered down the road. I'm not ignoring you! This chapter is a bit short, and made me miss my bicycle and early morning rides very much! I might just rearrange my room so I can fit my bike back in here so I can start riding again. Sigh Sometimes I regret not living at home anymore. Then I'd have somewhere to put all of my stuff! It also made me miss my daddy's motorcycle. Also, could someone who has some free time look into this for me? In "By the Sword", Kero's Companion is Sayvel. In the Mage Winds Trilogy, it is Sayvil. I have to get the books from the library, and I already returned Kero's book and picked up one of Elspeth's, so I can't double check and try to figure out which way it is supposed to be spelled. Thanks! Also, since everything I do has a soundtrack (gotta love portable music devices) I thought I'd start including my soundtrack for this story. The beginning of this chapter was several CD's worth of techno by Paul Oakenfold and "Finlandia" by Sibelius. The battle scene was "Egmont Overture" by Beethoven, with a splash of the beginning cello section from "1812 Overture" by Tchaikovsky when Kero is doing her bit of mental prep. Dvorak's "New World" was the scene in the salle. The horsie scene is "Light Cavalry Overture" by Suppe. Standard disclaimer: whosiwhatsis. Thanks for the fantastic reviews! Enjoy!

Chapter 9

Warm morning sunlight filtered down over Companion's Field like a soothing balm, and Kero inhaled deeply, breathing in the morning scents and reveling in the fact that she could now breathe without coughing. Last night, the Healers had cleared her to begin working back up to her normal exercise regimen, and Kero could not be happier. Eldan was sound asleep in their bed, and the girls were still snoozing in _their_ beds. Kero could not tell who was happier about that last, Eldan or the girls. It had taken several days and some intensive sessions with mindhealers, but the girls were no longer afraid to sleep by themselves. Now that the commotion was beginning to settle down and they were all once again following their routine, Kero was more than ready for some time to herself, which was exactly what her morning and evening workouts were.

Kero found that a morning workout cleared her head for the day, allowed her to organize her thoughts and fully wake herself up. On days that she missed her morning workout, she often found herself groggy and stressed, which, now that she thought about, was probably one of the reasons why the past few months had been so hard. When the girls arrived, Kero's routine had been disrupted to accommodate the girls' routine. Her morning workout time had been instead devoted to getting the girls up and ready for the day. Now that Eldan was here, he could get them up and the process started while she went through her own morning routine. Eldan, being a devout worshipper of sleep, insisted that Kero was abnormal for working out in the morning, and gladly took the task of getting the girls up if Kero took the task of putting them to bed and did not make him work out with her.

Her evening workouts did just the opposite of her morning workouts. These workouts gave her time to ponder the day's problems and work out any frustrations, easing her mind so that she could relax and sleep well that night. Kero did not know if she would have the energy come evening to do her evening workout, but she was more than happy to find out. Today's workout would be a light one, one lap around Companion's Field, then a ride with Sayvel before heading back to the cottage to clean up and head to the salle. Alberich had been covering for the last few weeks, with the help of Jeri, and he, too, was happy to see Kero back up and ready to take the classes back over.

With a hiss as tender new skin stretched, Kero bent from the waist and planted her palms on the ground. As the sting eased, she clasped her hands behind her knees, then tucked her nose against her knees in an effort to get more of a stretch. Once her skin realized it was going to stretch whether it liked it or not, it gave up the fight, and stretched with her muscles. She straightened and breathed deeply once again, settling her mind. Then she picked her right heel off the ground and tucked it high up against her left thigh, angling her right knee to the outside. In a move an acrobat had once taught her, she grabbed her right heel with her right hand and extended her leg up, stretching her calves and arm muscles, as well as her thighs. It was a move that made most men wince with the additional benefit of improving balance. Therefore, it was a move Kero heartily approved of. She did not realize she was not alone until she heard the thump of someone falling behind her. Releasing her own pose, she turned to find Acacia sitting on the ground behind her, looking somewhat frustrated and embarrassed.

"What are you doing up so early, Acacia?"

She shrugged, still flushing. "I heard you tell Eldan you were going to work out this morning. I want to be a warrior, so I figured I needed to get strong."

Kero nodded at the unflawed logic.

:_Might teach her a few things, as well._: Sayvel's comment.

:_Mm. Couldn't hurt. Besides, what with the threat from the mage, maybe teaching a little self defense will help. Won't have to worry about something happening to her as much._:

:_My thoughts, exactly, Chosen._:

Kero nodded decisively. "All right. You can work out with me in the mornings and evenings. However, you must follow the rules."

Acacia pondered the bargain for a moment, chewing her lower lip, then looked back up at Kero. "What are the rules?"

:_Smart little runt,_: Kero Sent to Sayvel, almost proudly.

"No talking in the morning, at all. Only talking allowed in the evening workout is if something from the day is really bothering you."

Acacia's face turned puzzled for moment, then she shrugged. "All right."

"The important thing about the morning workout is to enjoy the morning. The rest of the day will wait until after we're finished."

Acacia nodded. Kero turned back to face the sunlight, then continued her stretches, performing lunches and arm stretches until she was warm and loose. Then she set off on a jog around Companion's Field, Acacia trotting beside her. She did not expect the little girl to make it very far around the Field, but she made it much further than Kero thought she would. At the midpoint of their jog, Acacia became winded and began to stumble. With out a word, Kero slowed to a walk, allowing Acacia to cool down. When she judged Acacia cool enough, she called Sayvel. The Healers had been adamant about her not taking up her usual routine right away, and her muscles were warm and loose but beginning to demonstrate the effects of being bedridden then confined to light activity for several weeks. When Sayvel trotted up beside them, Kero grabbed Acacia and hoisted her on top of Sayvel's bare back, then climbed up as well.

Without any prompting, Sayvel turned and began a run across Companion's Field. This, too, was part of Kero's morning routine, and it was the part she loved most. Sayvel's pace quickened as her own muscles warmed and stretched, and soon she was galloping around the Field, enjoying her own morning workout. Acacia's mouth was stretched in a grin of sheer exuberance, and Kero matched her as she urged Sayvel to run faster. The wind whipped their hair and whistled past their ears as Sayvel's muscles bunched and relaxed beneath them. The fence came into view, and Kero felt Acacia tense as Sayvel showed no signs of slowing.

"Relax," Kero murmured into her ear, then wrapped her arms around Acacia. "Hold on to me."

Acacia's fingers dug into Kero's arms as Sayvel's muscles surged, then they were airborne. Sayvel cleared the fence and landed lightly. Then she kept going.

Eventually, they ran out of time. Sayvel slowed to a walk, then halted in front of the cottage. Acacia was excited and out of breath from their ride, fairly bouncing where she sat. Kero slid down first, then held up her arms. For once, Acacia did not hesitate, allowing Kero to help her down. She could tell Acacia was dying to tell her sisters about the ride, but she knew the instant she did, the others would be begging for rides. While she knew Sayvel would be more than happy to accommodate, she wanted to keep this just between her and Acacia. Kero had found a way to bond with the other girls, but she had yet to find something that was just hers and Acacia's.

"Do me a favor."

Acacia stopped before entering the cottage. "Depends."

"Let's keep this just the two of us. Don't tell your sisters."

She pondered Kero's request for a moment, then nodded decisively. "All right. This will be our thing."

"Come on, we're going to be late!"

It was utter chaos inside the cottage, but between the two of them, Kero and Eldan had it pretty much under control. All the girls were dressed and fed. Now it was a matter of gathering up books and heading to various destinations. They were all starting back to their lessons today, although some would not be going to the lessons they had previously. Caia would begin attending Healer's today. Since she already lived on Palace grounds, and since she was so young, she was permitted to live with Kero, Eldan and the rest of the girls. When she turned 10, she would begin staying in the Healer's Collegium dormitories. Ianthe would be attending most of her regular classes, including Comportment and her regular academics, but her Equestrian class had been dropped in favor of classes to train her Gift, which she would attend with the Heraldic Trainees under Herald Griffon. Damini would, of course, spend the day with Kero, since she refused to spend the day at home with Eldan, then she would go off to visit with Elspeth and Darkwind and learn about her Gifts. How they would teach a toddler about magic was beyond Kero, but since she was not going to be teaching the mite, she figured all she had to do was keep up on Dami's progress. By now, all the girls had their blue uniforms, except for Caia, who was dressed in pale green robes. Being Caia, she had talked Jeri into embroidering little green leaves along the hem of her robes.

"Everyone, line up!"

The girls formed into their accustomed line at the front door, and Kero performed a quick inspection to ensure they were all ready. With a decisive nod, Kero gave a wave to Eldan, who was feeding and rocking the baby over by the hearth, opened the door and led them out. They made an odd sight as they trekked toward the Palace. People were still not used to the sight of a strong, no-nonsense mercenary leading a string of little girls around the palace complex. Even more, they were accustomed to that strong no-nonsense mercenary wearing her long hair in a no-nonsense braid. Now her hair, which now consisted of fuzz about an inch long, was covered with a black kerchief that gave her a vaguely raffish look. The toddler's blonde curls were also covered with a black kerchief, and she carried a carved wooden dagger tucked into a sash tied around her waist. When the group stopped, one of the girls pealed off, got a goodbye hug, and entered the room they were to spend the day in. Eventually, only Caia and Damini remained. They were walking along Companion's Field toward Healer Collegium when the hair on the back of Kero's neck rose. Without thinking, she pulled drew her sword with one hand and made sure the girls were tucked behind her with another hand. She turned, sweeping the grounds with a wary eye, trying to figure out what had triggered her reflexes. Then she heard it. The sound was low, rumbling, and the ground was beginning to shake with it.

:_Sayvil._:

:_We hear it. On guard?_:

:_You know it. Could use some help._:

:_We're on our way._:

:_We?_:

In answer to her question, Sayvil galloped up, followed by Gwena, Rolan, Kantor and several other Companions. They formed an open ring around them, Sayvil on one side of Kero and Gwena on the other. Rolan and Kantor anchored the back, sandwiching the girls between them for extra protection. Kero centered her mind and body, anchoring herself firmly to the ground, yet balanced, ready to move in an instant. Her heart was slow and calm, and her mind ticked along in an orderly fashion; her eyes were as cool as the winter snow had been, levelly surveying the grounds for the approaching battle. Her mind was easily dividing everything that needed attention from her, falling back on the mental flexibility she had needed as the Captain of the Skybolts, monitoring different parts of the battle field at once. When the attack came, it came too fast for her to react. A force picked her up and hurled her. She was vaguely aware of clumps of dirt and sod being thrown with her, of Companions screaming, the screams of people, of two little girls in particular. Kero was thrown with enough force to clear the backs of the Companions and fly several lengths further, before coming back down. She rolled when she hit the ground, gaining nothing more than a few bruises as she spent the momentum she had gained, never even loosing her sword. Coming to a halt flat on her stomach, palms already flat to the ground to push herself back up, she spat blood to one side and hissed at the unseen force, her eyes dangerous with cold, concentrated fury. Then she pushed herself back to her feet and charged back to the front. The attack was magical and she was unsure of how to fight it, but by the Bright One, she would die trying. Before she made it to the front, she was horrified by the sight of Damini streaking through the maze of Companion hooves to the front of the group. More fists of force were hurtling down the Field, toward the group, toward Damini in particular, who stood her ground firmly, coldly watching them coming toward her. Then she crossed her arms and glared.

"No! Bad magic! Go t' room!"

And, amazingly enough, the balls of force stopped. Kero could see them hanging there in the air by the distortion around them. They bobbed indecisively for a moment, then abruptly flung themselves back the way they had come, just in time for the mages to run panting up.

"About time," Kero growled and crossed her arms, sword clasped by the pommel in one hand, dangling loosely, eyes still locked on the form of Damini standing in a similar pose on the Field.

Elspeth smiled sheepishly. "The mage locked us in the Palace. We had to get past the spells."

"Well, the two-year-old seemed to handle it just fine."

Elspeth winced.

:_Easy, Chosen. She could not help it._: Sayvil's rebuke was gentle

:_Help it, my butt. That damn mage almost killed two of my girls._:

The same thoughts seemed to have been flowing through Elspeth's mind, and her eyes turned toward Damini. The toddler nodded decisively- _Another one picking up Kero's habits, I see_, Elspeth thought with a flash of humor- uncrossed her arms and began carefully toddling over the broken ground toward Kero. When she got close enough, she simply raised her arms. Without a word, Kero sheathed her sword, bent and picked up the toddler, settling her on her hip with a practiced motion. Then she turned those frighteningly cold, level eyes on Elspeth.

"Get me a name and reason soon, Elspeth, or I'm going to leave the girls with Eldan and go on a little mage hunt on my own."

Elspeth watched as a woman who scared her far more than Herald-Captain Kerowyn ever could strode away. As she watched Caia carefully trot over the broken ground to catch up with her, Elspeth realized that Auntie Kero was far more dangerous than any woman she had ever known.

"Hai!"

Kero's foot came down and she spun on it, swords flashing around to block the swords of both of her opponents. She had them where she wanted them, and a quick flick of both swords disarmed her opponents, giving their wrists a good wrench in the process. They paused like that, all three breathing deeply, then Kero came out of her half crouch, bringing both feet back together again. With a smooth exhale, she sheathed both swords simultaneously, crossed over her back so they were both set for shoulder draws. The swords were a matched set, a gift from Eldan when she had wistfully told him she had always wanted to learn the two sword techniques while watching a demonstration at a fair. They were works of art, both light enough for her to handle both at the same time, strong enough to handle the battering they would get, and things of pure beauty besides. Intricate patterns were carved along the gutter of both blades, a kind of never-ending knot work that could fascinate Kero while cleaning and oiling them. The blades were also exquisitely balanced, so much so that she could balance the tip of the sword on the tip of a finger, should she so choose. Not wanting to loose any blood from the finely honed blades, however, she refrained from doing that particular trick. One of her opponents drew off her mask and grinned.

"Really, Kero, you don't need to take your bad temper out on us."

Kero grimaced. While Jeri had meant it in all good humor, Kero had felt the gentle rebuke sink in. She _was_ in a bad mood from earlier this morning, and brooding over it was only making her cranky and frustrated. Sighing, Kero rubbed her hands over her face, trying to scrub away some of the frustration. Daren, her other opponent, drew off his own practice mask. They were wearing the masks because they were working with live blades, and they all wore full armor. Kero wore a regular helm in place of the mask because she still suffered from feelings of anxiety when in enclosed spaces. Even now, the outer door of the salle was cracked open.

"Something wrong, Kero?"

"An unknown mage is having target practice on my family, and you think there isn't something wrong?"

"Well, there is always that."

Kero raised an eyebrow at him.

"Look at it this way, Kero." Jeri stepped closer and threw an arm around Kero's shoulders. Armor clanked and chain mail rasped as Jeri tightened her arm in a half-hug. Under normal circumstances, Jeri would not have even contemplated hugging the Captain, but she had seemed so tired and worried at that moment, Jeri had felt compelled to offer some comfort. "At least we know that mage isn't very happy anymore. I mean, if my magic got told to go back to its room, and I knew that room was me, I'd probably be really scared if I were at all good at what I did. If I wasn't, I'd either be dead or hurting because I couldn't dodge the stuff."

"That's one way of looking at it," Daren agreed. "Here's another: if a toddler can defend herself against the mage, I think the rest of your girls are pretty much safe. They're resourceful little hellions. You'll all be fine."

"I just want to know who and why."

"'Ana cow," Damini commented from the doorway to Kero's office, rubbing sleep from her eyes. They only used live blades when a little one was not around to get caught in the battle. Now Jeri and Daren hastily sheathed their own blades.

"What did you say, Dami?"

"'Ana cow."

Kero turned an inquiring glance to Daren, hoping for a translation from toddler-ese. He shrugged, just as perplexed.

"I think she wants a cow," Jeri offered from Kero's other side.

"She has been saying that a lot lately. I thought she was just picking up bad language from Acacia, but maybe you're right." She raised her voice from the quiet murmur it had been. "Dami, you can't have a cow. We can't afford it and I don't think the Companion's would like it running around their Field."

"Horsies!" Damini squealed, stomping her feet in her excitement, blue eyes glittering happily. Jeri choked back a laugh as Kero sighed.

"No, Dami, not horses. Companions are Companions, not horses."

"Horsies!" Damini put on her stubborn face and stamped her foot.

"Companions."

"Horsies!"

"Companions."

"Horsies! Dey's horsies!"

"Dami-" Kero broke off as she realized what she was doing. "Dami," she said calmly. "Companions only look like horses. They are people."

"Horsies talk."

That gave Kero a moment of startlement.

:_Sayvil?_:

:_She's quite a chatty little thing, actually; usually asks for bedtime stories._:

"Okay, let's try this. Dami, horses that talk are called Companions. Horsie…ahem. _Horses_ that don't talk are called horses."

"Sayvil 'panion?"

"That's right. Sayvil is a Companion."

"'Ana cow."

Stumped by the lightening change of subject, Kero paused for a moment, then shrugged. "We'll talk about it when you're older."

Damini frowned, then shrugged, clearly dismissing the whole conversation. She pulled her wooden dagger from her sash, then gave a shriek and charged Daren. Clearly, fighting was more important than cows, horses and Companions.


	10. Confessions

This chapter was actually written before the rest of the story was written. It's a bit melodramatic, but I'm a melodramatic person. This chapter is also a bit choppy, but I wanted to get the plot moving, so I concentrated on making certain events happen. It was inspired by the music listed below. I ask that you don't picture "Titanic" in one of the scenes, you'll know which one. It was in no way inspired by that…movie. It is also time to see who can put two and two together to get the bad guy. Yes, "'Ana cow" is an important part of the plot, however, it is _not_ Ancar.

Written to "The Mermaid's Song" and "The Old Maid of the Mill Dust", Traditional, performed by the Boston Consort on the album "Tunes from the Attic".

**Additional disclaimer: **the baby ambush scene came from Linda Howards _Game of Chance,_ at least the part with the knees. When she starts climbing, that's all mine. Sorry, didn't come up with that one on my own. Never been ambushed by a baby before, unless it was by baby puke. That's always interesting.

Chapter 10

The next few days passed in peace for them. The mage did not attack during those days, which made Kero begin to believe their mage was not as good as they thought he was. Kero was joined in her evening workouts by the older girls, and the workouts turned into lessons in self-defense. She was planning on eventually turning the self-defense lessons into weapons lessons, but for now, she was just concentrating on the basics and what the girls needed most at the moment. Acacia, as expected, picked up everything Kero taught her without any trouble. Surprisingly enough, Caia also had an aptitude for weapons. Ianthe was interested on a purely intellectual level and seemed fascinated by tactics, strategy, logistics and supply, which she was beginning to pester Kero about after dinner, during the girls' homework time.

Their mornings were beginning to get easier, as well. The girls had adapted to Eldan's presence, resulting in a household that ran much smoother than Kero had managed alone. The baby accompanied Eldan wherever he went during the day, riding in her Shin'a'in style carrier, so she was the last to get ready. All of the girls helped Damini to get ready while Kero rounded up school books and assignments and a gown for Acacia to wear during her etiquette class, laying everything out in organized piles on the table and got ready herself. Then Damini was passed off to Eldan while Kero helped the other girls to get ready. Eventually, they would all be ready to go. Kero would lead them out the door, drop them off at their classes, then go about her own daily routine.

Today was a bit different from other days, however. Several of Kero's Bolts were due to arrive today, bringing with them reports and news of the company. None of the girls had ever met any of the Bolts, and she knew the Bolts were just as anxious to meet the girls. Kero was relatively certain the bets on handfasting had been renewed with the addition of the girls. Apparently the Bolts believed the girls would cause Eldan and Kero to fling themselves into matrimonial bliss; meanwhile, Kero and Eldan merely pushed back the date for their theoretical wedding. By their way of thinking, they had been together this long without the benefit of vows and clergy, so a few more days, months or years would not harm them and have the added benefits of annoying her troops and providing great entertainment for the two of them.

"Where are the little demons?" Shallan pushed open the door to Kero's office, grinning broadly. "I want to meet the munchkins who brought our fearsome Captain to her knees."

Kero grinned back and pointed under her desk, where Dami had stationed herself when the outer door of the salle opened. Her latest antic was ambushing anyone who came through the door. "Don't let Acacia hear you say that. She might have to re-educate you on the principle that size does not matter."

The other lieutenants were entering behind her, but took a back seat to Shallan, who was now the senior of the lieutenants and would most likely assume command of the Company whenever Kero retired. As Shallan approached the desk, Dami darted out with her own version of a Shin'a'in warcry and flung herself at Shallan's legs. She firmly anchored herself there, then froze, casting a panicky look at Kero.

"Don't look at me like that. You got yourself into that situation, now get yourself out of it." Kero raised her eyes to Shallan's face. The lieutenant appeared to be fighting back a laugh in an effort to save the toddler's dignity. "She hasn't figured out what to do beyond the scream and attack phase, yet."

Dami abruptly made up her mind and began scaling Shallan's legs. Shallan's eyes widened at the evidence of Dami's climbing talents, then abruptly realized her arms would be needed when the toddler plopped herself onto Shallan's hip. Then Dami turned her head and grinned at Kero.

"You have her now. Now for the death blow."

Dami nodded, turned her head and gave Shallan a smacking kiss on the cheek.

"I wove you!"

Kero winced. "Dami, that's for Uncle Eldan to get new toys out of him. Remember that? We worked on that one."

Dami concentrated for a minute, scrunching her face, then realization dawned and she nodded. "Kiss, wove you, toys from Unc'Eldan."

"That's right."

Shallan chuckled. "You're mean, Captain."

"He's bound to teach her how to get to me, so I figured I might as well do a pre-emptive strike."

"Uh-huh. And how many years do think it will be before she's using that to get new weapons out of Eldan?"

Kero shuddered. The thought of a full grown Dami with weapons frightened her enough to give her nightmares.

"She won't need weapons. She's going to be a mage, aren't you Dami?"

"Fwowers pwetty." Then she straightened from her slouch against Shallan's shoulder. "No fwowers inside. Only when 'Speth and Dawkwind there."

"Very good."

Dami wriggled, and Shallan obligingly set her down. The toddler scampered around Kero's desk, then climbed in her lap. She settled herself comfortably and went to work "sharpening" her wooden dagger with a river rock Kero had given her, then polishing it with a rag.

"Well, on to business. What have you go for me?" Kero's lieutenants settled themselves comfortably around her desk and began their reports.

- - - - - - -

"Ah, Herald-Captain Kerowyn. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

Minister Cabot rose from behind his desk and gestured Kero to have a seat in one of his hard wooden guest chairs. The cherubic old man preferred his paperwork to most people, but he had a soft spot in his heart for children. The toddler slumped in an exhausted slumber against the Captain's shoulder tugged at his heart strings and pulled an unwilling smile of amusement to his face. Her tiny face was smudged with dirt and what looked like the remnants of warpaint. Her clothes were liberally decorated with grass-stains, while actual grass was sticking out of her hair under her black kerchief. The wooden dagger that was tucked into her matching sash looked like it had seen hard use recently. Kero noticed his examination of Dami and grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry. Dami gets pretty wild when she isn't entertained. Since it was such a beautiful day, I decided to take the Trainees outside to play wargames. Dami decided she wanted to participate. For her it mostly consisted of tackling anyone with legs, two or four, it didn't matter."

Cabot chuckled. "I remember when my children were that age. I always felt guilty when I left them with my wife, but then I'd remember that I would have a few quiet hours and would rejoice."

Kero chuckled also. "I think Eldan would agree with you. This one mostly follows me around."

Cabot laughed some more, then sobered. "Captain, the reason I called you here is quite distressing."

Kero raised an eyebrow in question.

"You understand that as Minister of the People, I am in charge of the census, as well as child welfare."

She nodded.

"Now, I understand that the children claim to be related to you, but we have no proof. Now, according to the law, we have to post notice that these children have been found and wait for their true parents to lay claim to them. We have done that for your gaggle of girls, here, as well as sending messages to the people they claim as their parents, and no one has claimed them. They've been here a few moons now with no one claiming them. That is good for you, however, I fear that we are reaching a decision point."

"And that decision would be?"

"Whether or not you and Herald Eldan will be adopting the girls."

"I'm not letting them go back to their parents."

"I understand that, Captain. However, as you and Eldan are not formally recognized by Valdemar as foster parents, the children cannot remain with you if you and Eldan do not adopt them."

"Then bring out the papers. We'll get it all done today."

"It's not that easy, Captain." Minister Cabot appeared distinctly uncomfortable.

"Why not?"

"According to Valdemar law, any who would like to adopt a child must be wed."

Kero raised her eyebrow again, this time in disbelief. "Is this some kind of joke, Minister?"

"I'm afraid not, Captain. In order to adopt the children, you and Herald Eldan must be husband and wife."

"I don't believe this."

"Believe it or not, Captain, but if you want the children, you and Herald Eldan will have to finally settle down and swear vows."

The sounds of the other girls in Acacia's etiquette class echoed around the courtyard like being inside a giant bell as Kero strode toward it, intent on taking Acacia for an afternoon ride to discuss their options. She had found that getting Acacia to sit still for any length of time was impossible and it was simply easier to talk to her while they were moving. No one moved like a Companion, so the she figured a gallop with Sayvil would take enough energy out of the girl to get her to listen for a few minutes. Her eyes were scanning the enclosed courtyard when she heard it.

"Poor, Acacia! Her parents aren't even married! Do you know who they are?"

"Shut-up, Reeda, you don't even know who you're talking about!"

The little girl taunting Acacia smirked smugly and stuck her nose a little higher in the air. She was a few inches taller than Acacia with brown hair and a delicate gown on that Caia would have swooned over if Kero could get the little girl to pull her nose out of a textbook long enough to look. Reeda was an obviously well-born little girl and liked to parade her ranking in front of all the other girls.

"That mercenary and her _lover_ are your parents, aren't they? They didn't even bother to get hand-fasted before you and your sisters came along, did they? You're not worth anything! They hid you from everyone until just now, so no one would find out that you even existed because you're such a disgrace!"

It did not matter that Lady Reeda Sonturin was spewing illogical non-sense. All that Acacia cared about was the pain those words abruptly brought to the surface, pain she had been fighting since the day she was born, pain that had been festering all these years. It raged to the surface and she felt her vision go red in fury and anguish.

"You aren't worth the—"

Reeda did not finish the sentence. Before Kero could bellow a command to stop, Acacia punched Reeda in the face with all the strength she had in her tiny frame, using all the skills Kero had taught her over the last few days to inflict the maximum amount of damage. Reeda flew off her feet and landed on her back, screaming in rage and pain and capturing the attention of their teacher, who came running as fast her plump body would carry her. Kero made it to the two little girls before the teacher and scooped Acacia into her arms. Acacia had broken into huge sobs, her delicate form shaking from the force, and she buried her face in the crook of Kero's neck, her hands clenching in Kero's dark grey tunic. Her pain reached out to Kero, and she pulled Acacia into her even tighter. She did not try to quiet the little girl, knowing that Acacia needed to rid herself of this infection more than she needed anything else at the moment.

Teacher Goodworth had pulled Reeda off the ground and was fussing over the girl, only occasionally glancing at Acacia, and only then to send angry glares at the girl. Kero was glad Acacia could not see her teacher and wished at the same time Acacia was not there so she could give Mrs. Goodworth a little of the treatment Reeda had received.

"Herald-Captain, that child is a hellion! I will not allow her in my class anymore! I advise you take her and give her a sound beating!"

Mrs. Goodworth's voice, strident and piercing, grated on Kero's nerves. The woman's face was pinched in disapproval and both of her chins were jiggling with the force of the woman's rage.

"This child is no hellion, woman. I think you need to look for the sniveling pile of spoiled child you are comforting for that. Acacia has received nothing but disdain from you and your child-posse from the moment she arrived. I applaud her. She has more patience than I ever did. I'd have done much more to you a long time ago if I had to put up with you every day. Tell Sonturin's parents that they can see me if they wish a taste of what their daughter received."

Kero's voice never rose in pitch or volume. It remained level with a cold certainty that froze Goodworth's heart and left the dawning realization that she was now in the disapproval of all the Heralds and what that could mean for her career.

"Perhaps, Captain, I acted too—"

"Good day, Mrs. Goodworth."

Kero turned and strode from the courtyard and back through the gate. Sayvil galloped to a stop in front of the gate, heedlessly trampling some flowers, and only waited long enough for Kero to vault onto her bare back with Acacia before she took off again.

Acacia continued to sob as Sayvil trotted through the city, heading for the countryside. Kero let her cry, occasionally whispering comforting nonsense to her in Shin'a'in, always holding as tight as she could without injuring the girl. The traffic-clogged streets emptied before them, allowing Sayvil to lope down them without pause, her hooves chiming in a strangely comforting way. By the time they emerged from the city traffic, her sobs had quieted and she lay mutely against Kero, exhausted by the emotional storm. Kero turned her so that she facing forward, then arranged Acacia's legs so the girl was kneeling, her knees braced on Kero's thighs and her legs tugged back behind Kero.

She gasped and grabbed onto Kero's head, frightened by the seeming lack of support from behind, then relaxed when she realized Kero would not let her fall. Sayvil wordlessly surged into a full gallop, stretching her legs and running as fast as she could, savoring the feel of muscles warming and loosening and the expenditure of stored up energy from over the long winter. The spring sunlight tumbled over them, warm, bright and golden. Wind generated from the speed they were traveling whipped Sayvil's mane and their hair alike, drying the tears on Acacia's face as the sheer exuberance of traveling at such speeds began to seep through her emotional exhaustion.

"Like this," Kero whispered in her ear, and pried the girl's fingers out of her tunic, letting them wrap around her own callused hands. Then she stretched Acacia's arms wide. Acacia seemed to throw herself into the experience, leaning back against Kero and tipping her face back into the sunlight, her heart pounding and a joyous scream beginning to rise in her chest. Seeing Acacia let go caused warmth to surge into Kero's heart, erasing the lingering traces of fury. She drew a deep breath, breathing in the liquid sunshine, while she felt Sayvil's muscles surging underneath them, adrenaline flooding all three of them. Then she exhaled her remaining frustrations on a screaming Shin'a'in war cry, echoing Acacia's scream of defiance.

Back in Haven, Talia glanced up from her paperwork as she felt the emotions flooding down the light link she had maintained with Kero and Acacia for the last few weeks. The sheer exhiliration engulfed her, and the trust and love rolling through Kero, Sayvil and Acacia brought tears to her eyes. She tipped her chair back into the sunlight pouring in through the window, closed her eyes, and allowed herself to recharge, feeling the stress melt off in the face of the joy of a Herald, her Companion, and the child of her heart flying through the countryside.  
---------------------

"So, are you going to tell me the truth?"

Acacia looked up from where she was observing the little fish in the creek she was standing in, dressed only in a shift and giggling when they nibbled at her toes. Her gown had been pulled off long ago and was now crumpled on the grass next to Kero, who had rolled her breeches up and was sitting on a rock, dangling her own feet in the sun-dappled water. Sayvil was off in the clearing next to the creek, have a roll in the grass and generally making a nuisance of herself, occasionally sneaking up on Kero to snort in her ear.

The way station they had stopped at was a long ways from Haven and would mean another full fledged gallop on Sayvil's part to get them back to Haven in time to gather up the rest of the girls from their classes for dinner. For now, however, the startling warmth of early spring and the quietness of the forest seemed to isolate them from the stress of the real world, making confessions easier for both of them.

"You have to answer a question first." Acacia's caution caused Kero's heart to ache, and she absently rubbed a hand over her heart.

"All right. I'll answer your question, then you answer mine."

The little girl moved some stones around with toes and watched as the fish scattered, then bit her lip. After a few more seconds, she drew a deep breath and looked Kero straight in the eyes.

"No matter what I say, no matter what happens, will you keep us?"

Kero hooked her hands over her right knee and rocked back on her tailbone, regarding Acacia through level eyes, then abruptly nodded to herself as she came to a decision. "Absolutely. No matter what you say, no matter what happens, I am keeping you and your sisters."

Acacia raised an eyebrow, a quirk that, Kero realized belatedly, she got from Kero. "Took you long enough to decide."

"A serious question merits serious thought, you know that." Then she broke her mask and grinned. "Acacia, I decided I was keeping the lot of from the time Ianthe lit my hair on fire. Any group of little girls who can cause that much trouble has to be related to me."

Acacia looked down. "That's just it. We aren't."

Kero was regarding her levely again. "Would you like to explain that?"

Acacia seemed to melt under Kero's regard, and a little girl Kero had never met took her place. Her shoulders hunched, her face turned downward and she began to nervously chew a fingernail.

"Acacia?"

"My mama died when I was five. She was a peasant, under your great-neice and her husband. I had no one, so your great-neice took me in. But, since I wasn't hers or her husbands, I wasn't treated like the other children were treated. Then Ianthe, Damini and Caia's daddy died, and they came. We swore we would be sisters and that we would always stay together. Everything we told you that happened to us was true. All of it. We were planning to run away. Then, one day, this woman showed up. She had an army."

Kero had been steadily creeping off her rock and stealthily moving toward the little girl. Now she sat on the grass inches away from her, and Acacia did not notice. She continued on in her story in a dead voice, her arms now wrapped around herself and rocking on her tiny feet.

"She said she would destroy the manor and the village if she wasn't give what she wanted." Now she did look at Kero. "She wanted you. She said you ruined her life and now she was going to ruin yours. Your great-niece told her that we were really yours and that you had sent us to live with her because you thought we would be safe there. She took us, dragged us halfway across the country. The entire way, she drank and made us listen to her while she said the most horrible things about you, how you stole her company from her, how you made her the way she is. One night, her army destroyed a village. It was burning and people were screaming. It smelled so bad." Even now, so far away from the village, the smells and sounds overwhelmed her. Acacia fell to her knees, gagging, and Kero lunged forward wrapping the girl in her arms. When she quieted, Kero settled back with the shaking girl tucked tightly against her. Acacia closed her eyes and leaned, breathing in the smells of leather, outdoors and the oil Kero used on her armor and weapons. It was a comforting scent by now, and Kero felt her relax even more.

"I snuck away from the camp and went into the village. There was a baby crying, so weak I could barely hear her. I followed the sounds and found her. She was under her mama. Her mama had protected her from the soldiers, covering her with her own body. Even when she died, she protected her baby. I can't really remember my mama, but I figured any mama who would do that must love her baby something fierce and want her to live. So I picked her up and brought her back to camp with me. That night, the cow was so drunk that she passed out. The girls and I packed up and snuck off. We agreed that anyone the cow hated so much that she would destroy hundreds of lives to punish had to be good, so we stuck with the story that we belonged to you. We walked forever. Then we found a merchant heading to Valdemar who was real nice and took us in. Then we found a Herald and told him we belonged to you. You know the rest."

Kero drew a deep breath and forced her tense muscles to relax for Acacia's benefit. The little girl was completely limp against her now, exhausted from her emotional day.

:_You there, hayburner?_:

:_Always, Chosen._:

Soft steps and velvet soft white nose nuzzling Kero, then Acacia, announced the comforting presence of Sayvil.

:_Pass along to Daren that we're going to need to talk later, and to bring Elspeth so we can hook in his favorite brother._:

:_Cleaning up some family business?_:

:_I think so._:

Kero stared into the distance for a second, making mental plans and fitting the last pieces of the puzzle into place.

"Kero?" The soft voice drew her out of her mental meanderings.

"Hm?"

"You promised you would keep us."

"Damn right I did. But you know what?"

"No. What?"

"I was planning on keeping you all along, no matter what you said, no matter what happened. You know why?"

Acacia's eyes glittered with fresh tears and she took a shaky breath.

"No. Why?"

"Because I love every one of you. I figure any group of little girls who have the courage to run away from a bunch of sick soldiers and make their way over mountains to get to me have to be pretty special, and none of you have ever made me think otherwise. I figure the gods figured I needed some pretty special little girls to look after me and for me to love. And you know what?"

"No, what?"

"If there is one thing a shin'a'in learns, it's don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, that's what the Bolts say."

The mention of her mercenaries reminded her of the army that Acacia had mentioned, and their leader.

"Did the cow have a name, by any chance?"

Acacia frowned for a second, then shook her head. "No."

"What did she look like?"

"Scary. She had these eyes, grey, like flint. They give me the shivers."

At the mention of the eyes, Kero felt herself go still.

"Kero? Are you all right?"

She shook herself, then forced herself to smile down at Acacia. "Yeah. You ready to head back?"

Acacia regarded her for a few moments, then nodded her head. "I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry."

With that, Kero rose and hoisted herself and Acacia up to Sayvil's back. Then they began the journey back to Haven.


	11. Auntie Kero

Thank you for the great reviews, everyone! You all make me so happy! A few replies:

To all of those who figured out, yes, "'Ana cow" is "Ardana the Cow" aka Ardana Flinteyes. I had always wondered what happened to her, so I decided to find out, which is where this story came from.

M3mOrii: Yeah, I didn't write a plot down, per se. This whole story spawned from the mental image brought on by the music in the last chapter and a curiosity of whatever happened to Ardana. Basically, I have the scene from the last chapter and the final battle scene is percolating in its little cubby hole in my brain, and I make the rest of it up as I go.

HellPhyre: I'm confused. How did who survive what kamikaze attacks? I haven't read many of the later books ML has come out with. Did I miss something?

BTW, I purposely left out Faram's plans for Kero's greatneice. It's a great scene that is destined to be put in later in the story.

Music: Audioslave's _I am the Highway_, Deaftone's _Minerva_, Mendelsohnn's _Reformation Symphony_ (Symphony #5), Rufus Wainright's _Hallelujah, _Moby's _Natural Blues_

**THIS CHAPTER RATED FOR VIOLENCE**

Disclaimer: hoochimajigger

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Chapter 11

Faram regarded them from the depths of the scrying bowl Elspeth was using to connect them to Rethwellen. He frowned, then crossed his arms.

"Your family can never do anything the easy way, can you."

Kero returned his gaze, all protesting innocence. "I did not ask my brother and his wife to reproduce, nor did I ask for their little monsters to produce copies of themselves. For that matter, I did not ask for a brother. I would have been content being an only child, instead of the youngest of two. Do you know how much he beat me up as a child?"

Daren snorted. "I think the appropriate question is does Faram know how often you beat up your brother as a child."

"Nonsense. He was weapons trained. I merely stole his weapons, which earned quite a thumping from time to time."

"Back to the matter at hand," Faram intoned. "I will do what I can from this end. In the meantime, Captain, I suggest you finally get married."

Kero squirmed as the other women in the room turned their eyes to her, making her feel like a pinned rodent.

"Good day, neice. Captain. Everyone else." Faram nodded and gestured to his court mage, who broke the spell. Elspeth began cleaning everything up on their end as Kero leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, contemplating her future.

"So, Kero." Selenay leaned forward in her own chair, a gleam of anticipation in her eyes. "Let's plan your wedding."

"Well, that's enough for me." Eldan rose from his chair next to Kero and stretched. "I'd better go relieve Alberich. Dami has probably charmed him out of every sweet he could find and Acacia-"

Kero's arm shot out and she fisted her hand in his Whites, dragging back into his chair.

"Sit. If we're doing this, you, by the goddess, are going to suffer with me."

Selenay grinned even wider as Daren and Elspeth arranged themselves on either side of her, effectively pitting the three of them against Kero and Eldan.

"Look," Kero began. "Faram won't be able to get things straightened out for several weeks on his end, then the documents have to be transported up here and the mountain passes are still closed, so by the time everything is said and done, we still a few months."

"Exactly," Selenay said. "It takes a few months to plan a great wedding, Kero."

"We don't want a great wedding, we want a few vows when we get around to doing it. We can plan that in about a day. There is absolutely no need to plan a huge wedding for a two people who won't appreciate it. Right, Eldan?"

"Right." Eldan nodded gamely.

Daren grinned and leaned back in his chair, enjoying watching his best friend squirm. "You might not enjoy a large wedding, but the rest of this kingdom and a whole Company of mercenaries in particular will greatly enjoy it, not to mention an entire Shin'a'in clan."

"They are doomed to disappointment."

"Now Kero-" Selenay broke off as a messenger burst into the room.

"Message for the Captain!" he gasped out.

Kero smirked as she accepted the folded parchment from the messenger. :_Saved__ by the catastrophe_: she Sent to Eldan. Then she froze.

"Kero?"

"I have to go." She rose from her chair and turned to Eldan. "Tell the girls that I said bye and that I love them." Then she darted down and quickly planted a kiss on his lips. "I love you, too. Now I have to go kill Ardana."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Skybolts had gathered on the crest of a hill that stood between the invading army of mercenaries and the small border town that had been deeded to the Bolts. The air crackled and a great light rent the sky. Then Kero came charging through the gap left in its wake and joined her troops. The foul weather that always accompanied a Gating broke and cold rain began to pour down on the battlefield. Shallan rode out of the mist caused by the rain and joined Kero as she and Sayvil headed for a vantage point to observe Ardana's army.

"What is our situation?"

"Nothing we can't handle, Captain." Coldness bit in Shallan's voice.

Kero allowed herself some amusement. "Goodness, Shallan. Someone would think Ardana had tried to decimate the Company a decade or two ago, from the way you are acting."

Shallan smiled grimly. "I am looking forward to decimating her, Captain."

"I think we all are. Have the specialists spotted her?"

Now Shallan frowned. "No, Captain. Her army is here, but we have not spotter her or the mage."

"If Dami is as powerful as Elspeth thinks she is, we might not have a mage to worry about."

Shallan grinned again. "You have to love that little munchkin."

"Remind me to tell you about what Eldan and I are going to have to do to keep them, later."

Shallan's grin turned mischievous. "Will I be winning any money off of this?"

"Maybe." Kero repressed a smile of her own. "For now, why don't you tell me how you think we should handle this?"

"Just like we have always planned, Captain. Straight charge. With no mage to worry about, we can go straight in without losing any of the kids. Leave a force behind to protect the town and act as an escape route for us, if needed."

"Has the town been evacuated?"

"Yes, Captain."

She thought about it, pushing markers around a map in her head, then nodded decisively. "Very well. Inform the kids."

Shallan saluted and rode to join the other lieutenants. They nodded at her words and broke to join their sub-companies. At Shallan's signal, Kero rode to her spot in the middle of the front ranks of her Company.

_:Where__ is she?_:

_:Mm__? Are you asking me:_ Sayvil sounded almost drowsy.

:_I__ suppose I am.:_

_ :Where would you be if you were Ardana:_

_ :Ardana is no coward. That was her one good point. She has to be here.:_

_ :Or somewhere else that is more tactically important.:_

Very real fear shot through her. _:The__ girls.:_

_ :I'll warn Roland. You need to concentrate here.:_

She nodded again and forced herself to breathe. The girls were a weakness she was not yet accustomed to coping with. They had come to mean a lot to her over the past few weeks and that was overwhelming her now. She forced herself to gently put thoughts of them aside and turn her attention to the problem at hand. With a deep breath, Kero felt herself sink and settle into the concentration that had let her lead a successful career as a mercenary and felt the Skybolts settle with her.

She signaled the charge.

With a roar, the Skybolts poured down the slope to meet the rising tide of Ardana's army. Kero flew at the lead of the Bolts, screaming a war cry and sword ready for battle. Time slowed. The clash of the two armies resounded throughout the valley and the screams of the dying began to fill the air. Sayvil was a flashing whirl as she attacked the soldiers and horses around her while Kero met the blades coming at them. She was quickly overwhelmed by fighters coming in every direction, so many that she did not see that some Bolts on the flanks of the battle were actively looking for enemy soldiers to fight. The rest of the Bolts quickly realized that Kero was being targeted and turned to go to their Captain's aid. As she concentrated grimly on the soldiers trying to injure Sayvil, she did not see the poleaxe that hooked into her armor. With an abrupt jerk, she was airborne. Knowing she could not control the fall, Kero used her moment in the air to draw her second sword. The impact with the ground drove the breath from her and she felt a rib crack as she landed on a rock. Ardana's soldiers, sensing she was injured, moved it for the kill. They underestimated her. The first soldier was quickly dispatched with a sword to the gullet through a weak point in his armor. Using a foot to lever him of her blade, Kero shoved him back into the soldier behind him while lopping off the hand of another soldier with the twin of the first sword. The room created by that maneuver allowed her to gain her feet. Then, the true massacre began. The Captain became a monster right out of most soldiers' nightmares, a lightning-fast creature with two finely honed swords that cleanly removed all flesh to come within sword's reach of her. Blood drenched the ground around her and coated her face and armor as she grimly fought on, occasionally using her feet to viciously crush the bones of opponents, at one time head butting an opponent over locked blades. Spinning from that opponent, Kero used her left sword to finish off another soldier with a slice to the throat and quickly reversed her right sword to stab behind her into another enemy soldier. Her blade became fouled in the other soldier's armor and another took the opportunity presented to charge forward. Sayvil reared up behind him and landed on his head, giving Kero the precious seconds she needed to free her right sword.

:_Chosen_:

An abrupt jarring and a sudden spearing of cold through her midsection stopped her where she stood. She turned her head to glare into the eyes of the grinning enemy to her left, the man who held the axe firmly planted in her armor. _And me…,_ she thought dazedly. Then she bared her teeth in a growl that would give Shallan nightmares for the next several months, and drew her right blade up, swinging for his throat. He frantically jerked his axe out of her and swung up to block the sword, then it was his turn to freeze in shock as Kero's left blade slid cleanly through his midsection from behind. The Bolts had finally broken through the wall surrounding their Captain and now ringed the two of them. She moved in until her body was tucked in close to his, then angled her head until she could whisper in his ear. His dying breaths echoed loudly in her ears.

"Where is she?"

"Who?" he growled, then gasped as her sword twisted mercilessly.

"Where is the woman who dared to hurt my little girls?" A cold shiver coursed down his spine, leaving him gasping in pain.

"I don't know."

"Try again."

He was gasping for breath now, and death was glazing his eyes. "Won't tell."

Kero _tsk_ed. "Come now. She doesn't pay that well." The sword twisted again and he cried out hoarsely. "Tell me where she is," Kero crooned, almost lovingly. "Tell me where she is, and I might let you live."

At this, he laughed as much as a dying man could. "I'd be dead anyway." The strength was fleeing from his legs and he began to sag, his weight settling on Kero, who was not so sure her legs could support her own weight, much less his. "Never tell." He almost sang it. Then the life fled his body and he collapsed, taking Kero with him.

"Captain!" Shallan darted forward and pushed his body off of hers. "Ah, Captain, you're really hurt this time. Stay still."

Kero patted the hand that Shallan had pressed over the gash in Kero's belly. "Clean up for me? Take care of the kids."

"You know I will, Captain. Rest."

Kero nodded. "I'm going to lose consciousness for awhile." Then her eyes rolled back and she went limp.


	12. The Sacrifice

Hey, everyone! Once again **THIS CHAPTER RATED FOR VIOLENCE AND PROFANITY**.

Music: Red Hot Chile Peppers' _Soul to Squeeze, Otherside _and _Scar Tissue_, Sibelius' 4th Symphony in A minor

Disclaimer: Amahallahoochie

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Chapter 12

Cold.

Kero's world consisted of cold, pain and exhaustion. The freak weather front that had moved in brought freezing temperatures and cold, icy rain that penetrated all the layers Kero wore as if they were not there at all. She had long ago lost any feeling in her hands and feet, and her face felt as if she were wearing a mask of ice. Sayvil strode determinedly forward, head down and drooping.

:_Maybe we should stop, love. We can find some shelter in the trees and snuggle together for warmth._:

Sayvil snorted. :_I want the stables. I want them warm, and I want them now._:

Kero decided it was not worth the argument, especially when she could be spending the night in a nice warm bed with her nice warm man.

:_About time you learned I'm always right._:

:_Keep thinking that, hayburner. Damn mage._:

:_He was right. You are in no shape to travel._:

:_We have to get back to the girls. Even if the damn mage won't gate us._:

She decided it was no use concentrating on her miserable present, so Kero concentrated on her future, on her plans specifically for that night. As much as her troops would like to think otherwise, her plans were actually quite demure. The hottest thing going between the sheets that night would mostly be the stones Eldan was hopefully warming on the hearth. Maybe with a hot meal insider her, hot stones and hot man outside her, she might just warm up before she expired of old age.

:_Dearling, I know thoughts like that keep you going when you are cold, but they only serve to make me more miserable. Please be miserable with me._:

:_Just because you like to grump doesn't mean I have to._:

Sayvil snorted again, then jounced Kero with a particularly punishing gait, causing her to curse as her wound jolted in protest.

:_Careful love, that isn't healed, yet._:

Sayvil smoothed her pace as Kero concentrated on her breathing, trying to ease the throbbing pain the jolt had caused.

:_Sorry._ _I wanted to make you miserable, not in agony._:

:_Get me home to my bed and I'll forgive you._:

:_It's a deal._:

Kero focused on her breathing, trying to ignore the cold and pain that were eating away at her last reserves of strength. She was more than ready to be home and hoped the girls would realize she was not up to any of their usual antics and keep the havoc to a minimum for the next few days. Gradually, unknowingly, she slipped into a light doze, head lolling until it rested on her own shoulder, arm clasped about her middle to ease her breathing. A hand on her boot brought her abruptly awake with a quick inhalation of surprise. Her hand automatically reached for her sword, but stopped when she realized they were in the stables. The hand on her boot belonged to one of the grooms, and he peered up at her with concern in his eyes.

"Are you back with us, Captain?"

She rubbed her eyes and yawned widely for a moment, then blinked owlishly at him. The warmth of the stable was penetrating the sodden mass of clothes, but it only served to remind her how cold she was. Kero shivered, then inhaled sharply again as the shivering jarred her wound and pain spangled her vision.

"Captain?"

"Give me a moment." Her voice was strangled with pain, and she once again concentrated on her breathing.

:_Easy, Chosen._:

Slowly, after almost an eternity, her vision cleared and she was able to focus on the groomsman.

"Can you get down, Captain?"

"We're about to find out."

She managed to get down after a few false starts, but her saddle bags were beyond her.

"I'll have them sent to your place, Captain," the groomsman said after a few minutes of watching her curse and struggle.

"Thank you. You all set?"

:_They'll take good care of me._:

"I'm off, then." :_Eldan?_:

:_You're back?_: His voice was warmed at the prospect of her return.

:_Mm. I'm cold, tired and hungry. And I want a hot bath very badly._:

She turned and started out of the stables, loathe to do so, but knowing she had to in order to get home. She headed for the cottage, then stopped when Eldan's mindvoice came back to her.

:_We're in the mess hall with the Trainees. I didn't feel like cooking tonight._:

:_In that case, I think I'm going to take a bath in the bathing rooms at the palace. Can you have someone bring me some dry clothes from home? And a cloak?_:

:_Sure. Soaked through, are you?_:

:_And frozen._:

:_Go get warm. I'll bring some food back to the cottage with me. We'll meet up there._:

:_Sounds like a plan._:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The hand on her shoulder would have startled her, but she recognized the mind brushing against hers, easing her startlement before she could jerk awake. Then she realized she had fallen asleep in the bathtub.

"Kero, wake up. You've been dozing for about a mark, now."

Kero dragged open eyes that seemed to be glued shut with exhaustion, then gave into their weight and let them close again.

"Le'me die in peace," she slurred, and settled herself more comfortably in the bathtub.

"Kero, this water is going to get cold in a few minutes. Where would that leave you?" Talia's patient logic was dragging her inexorably back to semi-consciousness. When Kero's fogged mind could not supply an answer, Talia answered for her. "Right back where you were. Cold and wet. Now, let's get you out of that tub."

Talia reached in and dragged Kero from the tub by wrapping her arms around Kero from behind and pulling. Kero's weak knees were refusing to support her, so Talia had to support her. Then Talia grabbed some warm towels and bundled Kero into them, vigorously rubbing to instill more warmth into Kero's still mostly frozen body. Talia's eyes darkened when she saw Kero's latest wound, a deep slice across her midsection that the Healers had only taken the stitches out of the day before. She made a mental note to be careful where she grabbed and to warn Eldan. Knowing Kero, she'd probably only told Eldan she had gotten a little cut. Kero was vaguely aware of female trainees trickling in to take evening baths, but her mind was too befuddled to care. Eventually, Talia got Kero wrapped up in enough towels to meet her requirements, then helped Kero over to sit on one of the benches that lined the bathing room.

"There. Now for clothes."

She managed to get Kero bundled into the warmest clothes she could find in the cottage: a thick soft shirt, a long, undyed woolen sweater that remained snug on her upper body and flared out to swirl around her knees and soft leather breeches. Those breeches had surprised Talia, since she had never seen anything like them before. The leather was supple enough that they would be completely comfortable to the wearer, but the real surprise was inside the breeches, for they were lined with an incredibly soft wool.

"Socks and boots."

Talia grabbed up a thick pair of socks and wrestled Kero's feet into them, like she would with Jemmie, then quickly pulled on the boots and laced them up. She stood and grabbed the cloak she had brought for Kero and threw it over Kero's shoulders, fastening it with a cloak pin made from bronze and bearing carved topaz and sapphires that bore the sigils of the Skybolts and Heralds. The pin was a work of art and Talia knew it to be Kero's work. All of Kero's friends were accustomed to getting her work as gifts, and several nobles had been known to pay Kero to make a piece for them. Talia had been aware that Kero had been taking more of those offers to pay lately and had been using those funds to stretch the pay she received as the Captain of the Skybolts and the stipend she earned as a Herald.

"Are you ready to try walking?"

Kero regarded her blankly, her head braced against the wall. She had discovered a few moments ago that her head had an alarming tendency to loll at the oddest moments, and her knees still felt a bit liquid. Talia watched Kero contemplate her situation for a moment, then realized Kero would most likely continue contemplating her situation until she was good and ready to walk. She also knew that the only way Kero would be ready for _that_ would be after a visit with a Healer and a good night's sleep.

"Cover up, ladies! Male entering!" With that, Talia stepped to the door, opened it and dragged an extremely uncomfortable Alberich into the bathing room. She had stationed him there exactly for this purpose. Eldan had told her Kero was in fairly bad shape, but Talia had not thought it would be this bad. "Kero needs help, Alberich." Talk about the room had silenced, and all the girls stood, rooted in to the floor, bundled in towels and robes as the infamous Stoneheart stalked into their private domain. Alberich, recognizing that the girls were as uncomfortable as he was, paused, bowed briefly, if gallantly, then pointedly turned his back to the girls and contemplated Kero.

"Better, you have looked, Captain."

Kero's befuddled mind tangled itself as she tried to unwind the simple sentence, then she gave up and nodded like she would when a drunken mercenary tried to babble nonsense at her. Alberich shook his head, then stepped forward and crouched, resting a hand on her knee to bring her wandering attention back to him.

"To bed, you must go. I will help." He stood, slipped one arm under her knees, the other behind her shoulders, and lifted. Kero's head lolled, then settled on his shoulder. Talia made sure Kero's cloak was tucked tightly around her, then pulled a woolen cap over her short blonde hair that was already dry.

"Let's go."

Alberich followed her out the door.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

She awoke to hands on her, and she did not recognize these hands. They were pulling away her warm cocoon of blankets, and that alone was enough to make her cranky, but the fact that she knew she was in her own home, in her own bedroom and that those hands did not belong here, made her wake with a battle cry on her tongue and weapon in her hand.

"Kero!" Eldan's voice and hand on her weapon hand stopped her. "It's just the Healer, Kero. You're fine." She dragged her eyes open and met the startled gaze of the Healer.

"Sorry." Her voice was husky with sleep. Then she rolled her head and met Eldan's eyes. "Hey."

He smiled warmly. "Hey. About time you showed up. I think the girls were planning a palace coup in your absence; I wasn't sure how I would deal with something like that."

Kero smiled back. "Easy; restrict playtime and make Acacia wear a dress. She'd be the ringleader for something like that."

The Healer went back to work, and she saw Eldan's gaze darken as her shirt was pulled up and the wound revealed. The Healer _tsk_ed.

"You should not have been traveling, Captain."

"You heard him; the girls were planning a coup. I had to come back and protect the world from them."

"We were not!" Acacia's indignant voice came from the doorway. "What's a coup?"

Kero grinned as the Healer began soothing the ache. "Overthrowing the palace."

Acacia wandered into the room and climbed up on the bed, plopping down next to Kero's hip and stationing herself by Eldan. "Did you fight?"

Kero raised an eyebrow. "Think I did this shaving?" she asked with humorous wryness.

Acacia's eyebrows wrinkled. "Aren't you supposed to wear armor?"

"I did. This was an ax. Enough of the edge got through the cut me."

"I thought you were supposed to be some great warrior."

Kero did not wilt under the inquisition. "I was swarmed." She was aware of Eldan tensing where he reclined against the headboard beside her, and she raised a hand to lace her fingers through his. "It's easy for someone to get through your guard in that situation."

Acacia nodded. Kero could see the gears turning in her head.

"Did you get the cow?"

Kero frowned. "No."

Acacia frowned. "Where do you think she went?"

"I don't know. I imagine she'll turn up soon."

"That's enough, Captain." The healer tugged her shirt back down and the blankets back up. "More sleep and more food. I don't want you out of bed for a few days." He turned his gaze on Acacia. "Hear that? Don't make her get up. Don't let her up."

Acacia sat up straight and nodded regally. "Yes, sir."

----------------------

When Kero next awoke, it was to Eldan's hand gently tracing a cheekbone. She dragged her eyes open and met his gaze from only a few inches away, his head sharing her pillow. His gaze was dark with emotion and his face was creased in worry.

"Hey."

"Hey." Her voice was husky with sleep. "You look upset."

"I've been called out."

She felt her own face crease in confusion.

"Where?"

"Ardana is attacking again. She's going after a small town not too far from here. Daren is confident that the standing army can take care of this, so he isn't calling up the Bolts. He wants Heralds, obviously."

A chill crept down Kero's spine, despite the warm cocoon of blankets.

"I don't like this, Eldan."

"No one likes fighting this close to home."

"It's more than that. She's up to something. This isn't what it seems."

Eldan frowned, his fingers absently toying with a few shorn locks of her hair. "All the Foreseers are seeing is a victory for us. Alberich didn't even have an itch that this battle was even coming. All indications are that this is going to be a relatively easy battle. The Guard is on high alert here. I promise to be careful."

"Eldan-"

"Don't worry." He leaned in and gleaned a slow kiss, then drew back so he could look her in the eyes again. "I'll be back before you know it. Acacia has agreed to help keep the rest of the girls under control, since there won't be anyone here to help you. They're all in bed, so you have until tomorrow morning to rest. This snowstorm is pretty much keeping everyone inside, so the next few days should be fairly easy for you."

"Be careful."

"I promise."

"I love you."

One last kiss and he was gone.

-------------------------

"Stay there!"

"But-"

"No! Eldan said you guys had to listen to me until Auntie Kero gets better, so do what I say!"

Caia slumped back down next to the fire in the common room, still only dressed in her night gown like the rest of her sisters, except for Acacia. Acacia was fully dressed and bundled in her outdoor gear.

"I'll be right back."

"Fine."

Acacia stepped out the front door, carefully closed it, then growled to herself. It was all well and good for them to give Eldan and Auntie Kero a hard time, but right now they needed to be good, at least until Auntie Kero could get up without going all white and sick looking. Her goal at the moment was getting wood for the fire. Auntie Kero was sleeping again, the baby tucked in the bed with her, as well as Dami, who had been in dire need of her afternoon nap. Eldan had chopped a bunch of wood and stacked it by the side of the house under a large piece of oiled cloth so that Acacia would be able to easily access it when they needed. The weight of the snow piled on it made getting to that wood much harder than Eldan would have anticipated. Auntie Kero would have been able to manage it without a problem, but she was still too sick to be going outside. Acacia knew that if Auntie Kero had known about the stacked would, she would have insisted on getting the wood herself. However, Acacia knew that whatever grown-ups did not know would not hurt them. So, every time Auntie Kero took a nap, Acacia bundled herself up and went to refill the wood box.

_Never thought I'd be doing this. 'Course, never thought I would be rid of that witch of foster-mother, either._

Using all the strength in her little frame, Acacia pulled the oiled cloth off and began piling wood on an old blanket she had brought with her. Another snowstorm had moved in and was quickly piling more snow everywhere. From the looks of things, the weather was only going to get worse.

_Better try to bring in as much wood as I can before this gets worse. The snow drifts are almost as big as I am, already!_

She had filled the blanket with a load of wood and was gathering up the ends to drag it inside when she heard the crash, followed by the screams of her little sisters. Dropping the ends of the blanket, Acacia bolted back toward the door of the cottage, pulling the dagger she had looted from Auntie Kero's weapon chest when Eldan had left, jumping into the fray with no hesitation.

"Let go of my sister!" Acacia leaped up and planted her dagger in the back of the nearest bad guy and did not stop, even when blood spurted and covered her clothes. A commotion from Auntie Kero's bedroom and a Shin'a'in warcry indicated Kero was up and fighting for the babies. The pint-sized warrior moved from the body of the first attacker to the next, determined to save her patchwork family. She had buried her dagger in the leg of another invader when he swept out with a vicious backhand that caught her across the face and had her slamming into the mantel. Acacia slid to the ground and tried to pull herself up, but the world spun and she sank back to the ground again. Kero burst from the bedroom, wielding a pair of matched long knives like woman possessed. Even Kero, however, was no match for the reinforcements that charged in through the door.

:_Sayvil!_:

:_I can't get to you! I don't understand! I can't move!_:

Overwhelmed, Kero was pinned to the floor and battered by fists and feet, all the while screaming as she watched the unconscious bodies of the older girls being dragged out the door, then the fiercely fighting form of Dami, then the baby. Before consciousness vanished, a brutal hand fisted in her short hair and dragged her head back to meet the eyes of the leader of the kidnappers. He grinned viciously and gave her head a solid jerk.

"Ardana sends a message. She says that you took away what she wanted most, so she's going to take away what means the most to you. Tit for tat." Then he slammed her head against the floor.

-------------------------

Fury. It encompassed her, formed her very existence. From the moment she opened her eyes, everything Kero saw was tinted red. She dragged her battered body off the floor, stumbled once, then used the fury to push herself forward. When the skeleton force of Guards left behind to hold the palace arrived at her shattered door, they found her fully dressed in black leathers and methodically lacing her armor.

"Captain? What happened?"

She turned her cold gaze to the guardsman and he shuddered.

"She took my girls."

"Who took your girls?"

"She hurt my girls, and now I'm going to hurt her."

The matched swords were strapped across her back for her preferred cross draw, then several knives, daggers and shortswords were secreted about her body. The Guardsmen stood in silence while they watched a woman that scared them unto death arm herself for a battle with a person they almost felt a bit of pity for. Almost.

A black rag tied around her head made her helm fit snugly in place, then she strode past them. Sayvil slid to a stop in front of her, and Kero mounted as if she was not bruised and bloody.

"Lock the palace down. No one gets in or out except for our returning forces."

"Captain, perhaps you should-"

A look cut the guardsman off. He swallowed and stepped back as Sayvil turned and kicked into a gallop.

----------------------------

"Eldan!"

Alberich's hand dragged Eldan from his camp cot.

"Hm? Huzzat?"

"Get your arse moving! Now, you must go!" Alberich bent and began cramming the items scattered about Eldan's tent into any pack he could find. "In danger, Kerowyn is!"

"Kero? Danger? Slow down, what do you mean?"

Alberich growled in impatience and stopped cramming clothes into packs and forced himself to concentrate and speak clearly and concisely. "I had a vision. Ardana will take the girls and Kero will go after her. In my vision, Kero dies. You must go to her. I will tell Selenay."

"She what! Where?"

"The Waystation to the south of Haven! You must go! Now!"

Without another word, Eldan pulled on his boots, his cloak, grabbed his packs, and darted out of the tent. Alberich followed him on his heels, and stopped outside the tent, watching as Eldan darted to where the Companions had gathered to socialize.

"May the Sunlord protect you," he whispered in Karsite.

-------------------------

Sayvil did not falter in her headlong gallop down through the city. People cleared the way before them. In what seemed like a heart beat, they were out of the city and Sayvil was using all the energy she had to propel them down the road. They both knew where Ardana was holding the girls. It was the only place within leagues around, with the additional bonus of holding some emotional value to both Kero and Acacia.

By now the fury had settled from an all encompassing fire to a concentrated ball of flame in the back of her mind, allowing her to concentrate and plan. She had no doubt the wizard would be there and that he would be keeping the girls from using their Gifts. Kero also knew that he would not dream of interfering in the decisive battle between her and Ardana.

Sayvil drew up with a snort and Kero realized that they had made it to the Waystation.

:_Be careful, Chosen. She will not fight cleanly._:

:_I've never expected a clean fight from Ardana._:

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the wench that stole my Company from me."

Ardana stood jauntily in the middle of the clearing Sayvil had romped in not too long before. Her armor looked as though it had seen better days and her grey eyes, while bloodshot from too much liquor, were even colder than Kero remembered them being. Twin swords that could have been siblings of Kero's rose over her shoulders.

"Here I am." Kero spread her arms from her sides, letting Ardana see her weapons. "What do you want?"

Ardana smiled sourly. "I want to see you dead. And I want them-" she stepped to the side so Kero could see where the girls were tied up "-to watch". A quick head count came up short.

"Where's the baby?"

Ardana gestured negligently to a rumpled pile of blankets lying in a snowbank. "Over there. I'm sure the brat will die soon, making my life much easier. Can't have a babe on the campaign trail."

Fury began to cloud Kero's vision once again. "You piece of –"

"Careful, Scout Kerowyn."

Kero broke off as the mage appeared and laid a dagger against Acacia's throat. The little girl's eyes burned hatefully up at the mage, and Kero had no doubt that he was going to pay, if not by her hand then by Acacia's.

"You want to see me die?"

Ardana smiled and nodded.

Kero met her eyes. "Fine. Then come kill me. Let's finish the duel that never got started. You and me. Let's go."

"I've never been one to not accommodate someone, especially when it is something I want." Ardana gestured to the mage and dome sprang up around them. "Can't have anyone interrupting, can we?"

Ardana stepped forward and Kero matched her, pace for pace. They began circling each other, neither drawing a weapon, until they charged each other in a blur and met with a clash of swords. Ardana came away with a cut on her face that steadily dripped blood into the snow. Kero smiled sourly. "I'm sorry. Did that hurt?"

With a hiss, Ardana charged back into battle, wielding her own twin swords against Kero's. The air was filled with the sounds of clashing blades, harsh breathing and hisses of pain as blades found their marks. Kero worked Ardana around the circle, then gave ground as Ardana pushed her into a retreat. Too late, Kero realized that a seeming wild swing from Ardana would cause her to hit the shield wall on the dodge, then cried out as her left arm went numb from the shoulder down from the contact with the magic. Her sword fell from her useless fingers, leaving her with one blade against Ardana's two.

"I'm sorry. Did that hurt?"

Kero grinned in a way that could only be described as blood thirsty. "Not in the slightest."

"Hault!"

Both Ardana and Kero froze at the sound of the mage's voice. Kero kept her focus on Ardana, but she was vaguely aware of the arrival of more people outside the dome.

"Drop the shield, mage, or you die!" Shallan's voice ripped across the clearing.

"Kill me!" the mage shrieked. "It stays whether I live or die!"

Shallan shrugged. "Do you really think I'm going to listen to a mage who got his butt whooped by a toddler? You asked for it." A flick of a wrist and the mage was dead of a throwing dagger in his neck. Much to Shallan's disappointment, the shield held. Ardana laughed.

"You should have listened to him. Now there is no way to take the shield down!"

Kero tsked. "Pity for you." She charged.

Ardana brought her guard back up in the nick of time and stumbled backward in the face of Kero's renewed advance. A twist of her wrist and Ardana was down to one blade. Ardana managed to batter aside Kero's guard and score a bruising hit along the half-Healed gash across Kero's abdomen. She was vaguely aware of the people outside the shield yelling, but all of her attention was on Ardana. By now, Kero was breathing in gasps and every wound ached with a vengeance.

:_One final push, Chosen. You can take her._:

A surge of strength came over the bond and Kero pushed forward, disarming Ardana and tripping her adversary to the snow. She stood over Ardana with her sword point at her throat.

"No mercy from the great Herald-Captain Kerowyn?"

"Mercy from the person who would kill my girls?" Kero snorted. "I doubt the Bright Lady Herself could save your soul from where it is about to go."

Kero braced herself for the lunge that would end the duel when she heard his voice.

"Kero! This isn't you. Don't kill her. Let the Guild have her. You've always trusted them before. Let them have her."

She raised her head to meet Eldan's gaze and felt the fury retreat enough to let her think.

:_He is right, Chosen._:

:_She hurt the girls._:

:_And you hurt her_: Eldan Mindspoke. :_Let it end here, Kero._:

As Kero stood over Ardana and felt the fury rapidly receding, she realized how much she had aged over the years and realized that the girls had taught her something she did not even realize she was learning.

:_All right._:

She felt his smile over the link. :_That was quick._:

Kero smiled in return. :_I don't think I ever wanted to kill her._:

:_Give us some time to get this shield down and we'll—LOOK OUT!_:

A handful of snow caught her in the face, blinding her, and she staggered backwards, frantically trying to clear her vision.

:_KERO!_: Eldan's mind scream echoed in her head as she felt a burning coldness slice through her belly, catching on bone. She wiped the rest of the snow off her face and looked down to see the hilt of Ardana's sword protruding from her armor. Ardana laughed as Kero's knees turned to liquid and she collapsed to the snow. The girls' screams echoed in her ears as Ardana climbed to her feet to stand over her. Kero slumped to her side, shock numbing her while blood slowly began to ooze around the blade to steam in the snow.

:_Kero? Answer me!_:

:_Stay with us, Chosen_.:

:_Eldan? Sayvil?_:

:_We're right here. Stay with me!_: Eldan's Mindvoice was panicked.

Abruptly, her eyes locked on Acacia's.

Acacia felt tears welling up as she boldly met Kero's eyes. "You promised me," she whispered. "You promised that you would keep us. You can't keep us if you're dead!"

"_You should listen to the child."_

_ Tarma sat beside her in the practice ring, sword lying across her knees._

_ "I'm dying."_

_ "Yes, you are. Soon, you will be dead, and there is no getting around that."_

_ "I want to stay with them."_

_ "Some things are beyond our control." Lerryn's voice startled her as he stepped over her legs and stood behind Tarma. "You fought well, Kerowyn. Now it is time for the old adage to take effect." He smiled at Kero's perplexed look. "'Mercenaries don't die. They just regroup in hell.'"_

The sword she had dropped by the shield wall was in her hand and Ardana was still standing over her, holding the other sword that was a twin to the one currently planted in her belly.

"I think it is time we ended this." Ardana moved the tip of the sword to Kero's throat, and the screaming of the people outside the shield increased. "I hope you enjoy hell."

Kero grinned. "Somehow, I don't think you will." She swept up and out with her left arm, earning a gash and knocking the blade away from her throat. Before Ardana could react, Kero had wrapped her left hand around Ardana's sword arm and pulled her down onto the blade she had been grasping. Ardana's eyes bulged as Kero's blade found a weak point in her armor and sank through her neck. Aqua marine eyes held grey eyes from a few inches away.

"Tit for tat. Bitch."

Life fled from Ardana's eyes and she slumped down over Kero. With a growled curse and one last gasp of strength, Kero shoved the body off her own, then curled into a fetal position facing the shield wall.

"Auntie Kero?"

Acacia was kneeling next to the shield wall.

"Go over by Shallan, Acacia."

"No." Acacia shook her blonde head emphatically.

"Listen to me this once and go over by Shallan."

"No, 'cause then you'll die and leave us here and you said you would keep us."

"Go over by Shallan." Kero felt herself weakening and forced herself to hold on with all of her strength, try to spare Acacia this last trauma. "Please, Acacia. Go over by Shallan."

Eldan placed his hand on the little girl's shoulder and firmly moved her away from the shield wall. Acacia fought him until he turned her to face him.

"Acacia, I need to talk to Kero right now, all right? Stuff we can't talk about in front of you. Go stand with Shallan so we can talk."

"You're lying."

"Yes, I am. Now go stand by Shallan."

"Make her stay." Her blue eyes were desperate.

"I'll do my best."

Acacia nodded and began trekking wearily through the snow toward Shallan, who pulled the little girl into a hug along with the other girls. The baby was snuggled under Geyr's tunic and cloak, quickly recovering from her exposure to the cold while the company mage continued to fight to bring the shield wall down.

Eldan knelt by the shield wall, then lay in the snow so that he could meet Kero's eyes as intimately as they had shared a pillow only a few nights before.

"Hey, love. I told you I'd be back before you knew it."

Kero smiled weakly as she felt darkness begin to overwhelm her. She could feel the warmth of her blood soaking into the snow around her and knew her time was short.

"Eldan-"

"Hush. Save your strength. The shield wall will come down any second now and you'll need everything you have for the Healers to use."

"They won't get it down in time."

Eldan's eyes misted over. "Sure they will, love. Do you really think I can handle those terrors of ours all by myself? Acacia has never listened me and Dami somehow figured out that if she gives me a kiss I would give her anything. They'd be out of control in no time."

The darkness began crowding her vision, obscuring her view of him. Eldan saw her begin to edge out of consciousness and felt his fear overtake him.

"Stay with me, Kero."

"Can't. So tired."

"Don't go to sleep, love. Stay awake."

Her eyes clung to his, but she knew there was no hope and tears blurred her vision.

"Love you."

The darkness closed in on her.

"Kero!"


	13. Round 2

Thanks for sticking with me, people! You've all been awesome!

Sorry it took me so long to finally get all of this up. I got back to school to discover that graduating takes up a _lot_ of time. Hope it was worth the wait!

Music: Audioslave's _Shadow on the Sun _and _Bring 'em Back Alive_, Sibelius' 2nd Symphony in D

Disclaimer: endoplasmic reticulum

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chapter 13

The courtiers laughed and glittered and twirled with the music as the evening of festivities progressed. The perfume was beginning to overwhelm Faram, but he had one last thing he needed to do before he retreated to the quiet of the Royal Suite. Something that he dearly wanted to do and would most greatly enjoy doing. His eyes lit on the laughing couple standing off to one side, enjoying his fine wine and the company of their fellow nobles, and he ambled in their direction, talking with other nobles as he made his way over, to all appearances merely riding the natural flow of the conversational groups.

"Ah, Roderick! And your lovely lady, Angelina." Faram bowed gallantly over Angelina's hand and slapped Roderick hardily on the back. The younger man, a man Faram had always privately thought of as rather pasty, coughed on the wine he had been sipping, then bowed as Angelina hastily curtsied. Faram waved their gestures of respect aside. "No need for that among family!"

"Family, Your Highness?" Roderick appeared as startled as the rest of the courtiers.

"Why yes, Roderick, in a very distant way. I just happened to converse with my brother Daren today by way of my niece, Elspeth; she's an Adept mage, now, did I tell you? Always knew she would be a handy girl to keep around." Roderick and Angelina nodded as if the news that Elspeth had made Adept class was indeed news to them, and Faram hid his inner smile. "Anyway, Daren mentioned to me that you are related to Herald-Captain Kerowyn. Neice and nephew or something like that?"

Roderick and Angelina nodded. _Probably would have still agreed even if they weren't related,_ Faram thought sourly.

"Well, I've always considered Kero family since she and Daren have been so close for decades now. Daren told me that you have sent your little girls up to foster with their famous Great-Aunt. A splendid idea, I might add. The Captain is a wonderful parental figure and has managed to keep those troops of hers on a fairly straight course."

"Sent up-" He broke off abruptly. "Uh, yes, Your Highness. We felt that children as rambunctious as our foster daughters really needed the sort of tough love my Aunt could give them."

"Foster children? Really? They aren't yours?"

Angelina fluttered her fan nervously. Her brown hair was swept up in perfect ringlets and her gown was made of the most expensive silks, a fact that did not surprise Faram in the least, even though his investigators had turned up the surprisingly small amount of gold in their coffers.

"No, I'm afraid not, Your Highness. Their parents were killed quite tragically, I'm afraid. I begged Roderick to let me take the poor things in." She simpered at Roderick. "After a few months with them, we decided the trauma of the loss of their parents was simply too much for us to deal with, so we sent them up to Roderick's wonderful Aunt."

"I see. How generous of you."

Angelina fluttered her fan more. "Really, Your Highness, it was nothing."

"Apparently," Faram demurred, then shook himself. "Well, I think a toast is in order. A toast!" The court herald took the cue and rapped his staff three times on the marble floor. Silence fell as the musicians quickly cut off.

"His Highness wishes a toast!"

Faram raised his glass to Roderick and Angelina. "A toast, Lords and Ladies, to the fine Lord Roderick and Lady Angelina, who became members of my family recently when they fostered their darling little girls, all five of them, with the heroic Herald-Captain Kerowyn, friend of Daren's, as well as myself, and saver of my Royal Backside too many times to count. No better parents could anyone have!"

The courtiers raised and clinked glasses as Roderick and Angelina flushed.

"Now, I'm afraid I do have some business to conduct with you, on behalf of Herald-Captain Kerowyn and Herald Eldan."

"Herald Eldan?" Angelina asked before Roderick could stop her.

"Yes, Herald Eldan." Faram did not elaborate.

Angelina blinked, then drew in a sharp breath at an unobtrusive pinch from Roderick. "Oh, yes, Herald Eldan! How could I forget him. Honestly, my mind seems to be slipping, what with the arrival of little Roderick. How is he?"

"Doing well, I believe. Anyway, apparently life would be much easier on the Captain and Herald Eldan if they could formally adopt the little girls. I've had my Court Scribe formally draw up the documents of your releasing your parental rights and I believe a Special Heraldic Messanger from Valdemar is waiting to transport the documents to my brother and his lovely wife, the Queen of Valdemar so that they can personally oversee the adoption process. We just need your signatures."

"Of course, Your Highness. Right away." Roderick fairly bounced out of his shoes in an effort to please his king.

"Excellent. Oh! I have one more matter that fair slipped my mind as well. What is the baby's name? It would be a bit hard to adopt a nameless baby!"

"Baby?" Once again, Angelina's tongued escaped her brain.

"Ah, I believe he means the toddler, Angie. Damini."

"Oh, no!" Faram brushed the remark away. "I meant the baby! The one that is only a few months old." Faram knew the name the little girl now carried, as it had been brought with the special messenger. "Although, why you would want to send a baby that small to foster is beyond me. After all, we all know what wonderful parents you are. And no one would lie to me about something like that, would they?" Faram's last words held a weight that made Roderick gulp and caused Angelina to flutter her fan nervously. "As you know, the penalties for lying to the king, as well as for harming or neglecting a child, are fierce."

"Ah, I believe the baby is without a name, Your Highness," Angelina provided a bit too quickly. "I'm afraid she was brought to us right after she was born, and we sent her to dear Aunt Kerowyn with the other girls because we were worried that she too suffered a trauma that only the type of lifestyle the girls would have with Aunt Kerowyn would heal."

"Excellent, then. Why don't we step into my study, and you can sign the documents. Also, I wanted to talk about stationing some of my Army on your lands. You will have no need to worry, I am sending one of my most trusted officers…"

---------------------

"I don't understand."

Kero lay in her bed at Healer's, propped up by a mound of pillows, and regarded the documents on the lap desk in front of her. "Faram knows the baby isn't from Roderick and Angelina. Why did he include her in the adoption papers as 'Baby Jane, whose name shall be referred to hereafter as Aiko shena Talesidrine'?"

Daren leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. "Faram was just making your life easier, Kero. This way you won't have to go through the hassle of all the forms required for adopting a child of unknown ancestry. The fact that the Shin'a'in ambassador signed off on Talesidrine claiming her means that she falls under an inter-clan adoption, which is the same as an aunt adopting her niece. Much easier paperwork."

"But what if she still has family out there?"

"Elspeth checked, love." Eldan sat in a chair on the other side of her bed, reading over her shoulder. "The only relatives she could find were extremely distant relations that had enough of their own problems. Aiko would not have received the care and attention she needs, not to mention putting an already financially burdened family into even more trouble. When a Herald told them about her, then told them we were willing to adopt her, they jumped at the opportunity, especially since we are Heralds and we could get around them signing any paperwork, which would cost them taxes for the year, by the way."

Kero sighed, then winced as her various wounds pulled. "Well, everything else looks like it is in order. I suppose Faram had an excellent time putting the fear of…well, His Highness into them."

Daren grinned. "Most definitely. His last letter to me was fair cackling."

"Good." She held out her hand and Myste placed a pen in it. Her hand was a bit shaky, but she managed to sign her name somewhat legibly. Eldan signed his named in a bold scrawl, then handed the papers to Alberich and Myste, who signed as witnesses. Daren affixed the Royal Seal to the document, making it official. He rolled the papers up and tossed them negligently on his cloak, which was piled in the corner.

Then he laced his fingers behind his head and grinned happily as Alberich and Myste congratulated the two new parents on their recent good fortune.

"You know…" he drawled. "This may have gotten you out of a wedding for now, but Selenay and every other female member of the Heraldic Circle, not to mention the Bardic Collegium, are dying to see you and Eldan tie the noose."

Eldan laced his fingers through Kero's and smiled as he conducted an unobtrusive survey of her. She was still extremely weak, even two weeks into recovery and tired very easily. Even now, she was drooping into the pillows and the shadows under her eyes were deepening noticeably. Kero had also lost a lot of weight during her ordeal, which included, much to his dismay, her heart stopping. Eldan's white stripes had grown noticeably wider during this stay at Healer's, and he hoped he would never have to deal with anything like it again.

"I think we're going to be waiting a while on that one," he replied.

"A long while," Kero said, her voice weakening.

"Well," Daren said, slapping his knee briskly and rising, gathering cloak and documents. "I'll be leaving you two." He smacked a kiss on Kero's cheek and dodged Eldan's mock fist of protest. "Get some rest, Kero. Those demon-children of yours are driving the Royal Nurses crazy. Even worse, I think Aiko is learning from Acacia and is doing her own part to drive everyone nuts."

Kero smiled, but her eyes were already drooping closed. Alberich and Myste quietly said their goodbyes to Eldan, then slipped out the door. When they were gone, Eldan gently removed the pillows until she was lying mostly flat, then laid his own gentle kiss on her forehead. She smiled.

"We're a family now."

"We sure are. Official and everything. Love you."

-------------------------------

"Where the hell am I?"

Ardana spun in place, taking in the bleak landscape, then scratched her head in confusion. Last thing she remembered, she was fighting Kerowyn in the snow. Now she was here, in a dead meadow with not a weapon to spare.

"‛Hell' being the apt word, Ardana."

The familiar voice caused her to freeze, then slowly turn.

"Lerryn?"

"That's Captain, to you."

"You're dead."

"And so are you. What a coincidence." The coldness of his tone and gaze finally penetrated her cloud of confusion.

"I'm dead?"

"Most definitely."

"She killed me!"

"Oh, yes. I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time, Ardana."

"What do you mean?" Fear began to register.

"You mostly destroyed my Company, Ardana. That made me very mad. So mad, I'm afraid, that I pestered the Bright Lady for a chance to come down here and make your afterlife…well, hell." More people began materializing from the dead grass, all members of the Bolts who had died under Ardana's command. "Oh, and I brought a few friends along with me."

"You can't do this to me!"

Lerryn smiled grimly. "As you like to say, Ardana, 'Tit for tat'."

-----------------------------

_Several years later…_

"Do you have to pull that any tighter?"

"Hold still, Auntie Kero! This dress won't look right unless I get this laced properly. You wouldn't want your dress to look bad on your wedding day would you? Especially one this pretty."

"I'd rather not have a wedding dress," Kero muttered, then cursed at a wicked pinch. "Watch it, you impudent wench!"

Caia looked at Kero in the mirror from where she stood behind her aunt. "That's Acacia. I'm the hopelessly spoiled wench."

Kero sighed. "That's right. You're all such wenches I keep getting you all mixed up."

Caia grinned as she finished lacing up the simple and elegant cream silk gown, then stepped back to regard her aunt. Kero had aged little over the years, surprising many people when they saw how much havoc the girls had managed to wreak as they grew. She still stood as proud and ageless as before and her figure was enough to make young court butterflies envious. Her hair, for the first time in Caia's memory, lay long and loose down her back, unconfined and uncovered, against tradition of elaborate styles and veils.

The dress was a style that few court butterflies could pull off. The cream silk fit close to her body to her hips, where it flowed gently to the ground over only a single layer of petticoats. No decoration had been added to the long, close-fitting sleeves and the hem of the gown, much to the disappointment of the Court seamstresses, but a delicate line of seed pearls had been stitched along the top edge of the gown, where it traced straight along Kero's chest and off her shoulders. As if to taunt the female members of the Heraldic Circle, Kero had gone to an armorer and ordered two thin lengths of gold-washed chainmail to be used as delicate straps for the gown.

Kero held her hands out from the gown. "Well? Do I pass inspection?"

"You look beautiful, Auntie Kero." And Caia meant it. "Oh!"

Concern clouded Kero's eyes and she stepped forward as Caia's hands went to her rounded belly. "Trouble?" Kero's hands covered Caia's own, then the concern melted away as she felt the strong kicks of the babe. "Ah. Someone is getting some sparring practice in."

Caia grinned. "I'll say."

Caia had grown up quite nicely, in Kero's opinion. For today's big event, she had shed her Healer's robes for a gown of a rich hue of earthy red that emphasized the beauty of her pregnancy and brought out the glow in her face. Pregnancy agreed with Caia, and Kero once again breathed a mental sigh of relief that she was having an easy time of it. Caia's blonde hair had darkened to a rich brunette over the years, and it was now piled on her head in an elaborate style that was now in fashion at Court, and her blue eyes twinkled merrily.

"Ready to be a grandmother?"

"Not in the slightest. Where's that man of yours? Doesn't he know he's supposed to be coddling you?"

Caia grinned. "I'm sure he's busy keeping Eldan from hyperventilating."

"I told you not to marry a Healer. Now you two won't have time for anything."

"We managed to fall in love, get married and make a baby, Auntie Kero."

Kero plugged her fingers in her ears and hummed loudly to herself. "I don't want to hear anything about you making babies! Any of you!"

"Are you terrorizing Auntie Kero again, Caia?"

"Thank the goddess. Acacia, rescue me from this fiendish sister of yours."

Acacia stepped into the room, closed the door and leaned back against it, grinning. She had retained her blonde hair, which was now sunbleached to a white that was very similar to Kero's. Like Caia, she was dressed in her best. Unlike Caia, her best was a fantastic set of armor that was known to instill envy in Kero. Currently a scout leader in the Skybolts, Acacia had followed right in her aunt's footsteps, although she occasionally let herself be sidetracked by a lusty man or a good adventure. "What's the joy in merely climbing the ranks? I have my whole life to make Captain and I'm going to enjoy the way up," she would say. At her current pace, she would make it at about the same age Kero had.

"What are you going to pay me for a rescue?"

"I'm still your Captain, impudent wench."

"And I'm still a mercenary. How much?"

"I won't wallop your bottom later."

Acacia grinned and opened her mouth to reply when a flurry of pounding at the door, then a hard shove dislodged Acacia and the rest of her girls piled in. The source of the hard shove, Damini, tripped on the hem of her mage robes, then quickly caught herself and stood up straight.

_And there is so much "up" to her_, Kero mused.

Damini towered over all the women in the room. If that was not enough to distinguish her from the rest of the female population, her flaming red hair that was ruthlessly secured in a bun would have done the trick, not to mention her broad shoulders and muscular build. After all, it took strength of body as well as strength of Gift to become the best Smith-Mage of Valdemar. Even now, her face was suspiciously smeared with soot, and, much to Kero's relief, rumor had it Dami would not recognize an interested man if he changed himself into a hunk of metal and hit her over the head with himself.

Like her two biological sisters, Ianthe appeared to be a bit of a changeling. She, too, had inherited red hair and height, but that was where the similarities between her and Dami ended. She took after Caia, with her twinkling blue eyes, glossy hair and willowy figure. Also like Caia, and, for that matter, like her older sister Acacia, Ianthe had discovered the opposite sex early and enjoyed it with great frequency. Fortunately for Kero, Ianthe was a Herald and had access to moon powder, so Kero did not have to worry about any other "grandchildren" popping up unexpectedly.

Aiko was the odd-girl out of the group, at least when it came to looks and personality. She was as much loved, doted upon and teased as the rest of the girls. However, Aiko appeared to have unwittingly lived up to Faram's false claim of being Shin'a'in by exhibiting Shin'a'in physical and emotional characteristics. Not only was she a natural on a horse, but she loved the Shin'a'in way of life, the Shin'a'in people and even the Shin'a'in sense of humor and fashion. She loved Shin'a'in fashion so much that she flat out refused to where Trainee Greys, which, according to her, did not at all bring out her exotically dark coloring. Today, she was decked out in her finest Shin'a'in finery, as well as her Companion, who loved the colors as much as she did and insisted on having her saddle redone by the leatherworkers of Talesedrine, as well as having ribbons and beads braided into her mane and tail.

Taking them all in, the realization that the cottage, which had once been so noisy, was now quiet more often than not sank deep. The realization that she did not like that was close on its heels.

"I need more kids."

"What!" Acacia's shock was akin to her own.

"It's too quiet with all of you out and about and being grown up. I need more kids."

"Auntie Kero," Caia began. "You are getting older now, and we weren't exactly good for your health in the beginning-"

"I'll be sure to find some kids without a maniacal ex-mercenary on their trails. Maybe I'll find some that have regular criminals out to get them or something."

"Auntie Kero, maybe you should think about this a little bit more, maybe talk it over with Uncle Eldan…" Ianthe was trying to reason with her.

"Don't have time right now!" Kero said gleefully as Talia opened the door and Caia hastily handed Kero her bouquet as the girls gathered up their own. "I have to get married!"

---------------------

Eldan grunted as Dami's heavily muscled weight dropped into his lap and she looped her arms around his neck. He knew what was coming next. She kissed his cheek, then laid her head on his shoulder.

"I love you, Uncle Eldan."

He sighed. "How much?"

"Does he realize that she has more money that he does now?" Acacia asked Caia as they both stood to the side, sipping fruit juice.

"Probably. It's more fun for the both of them this way, though."

"Mmph. Do you think Auntie Kero is serious about finding more kids?"

Caia chuckled. "Jealous, Cacie?"

"No," Acacia mumbled into her juice. She wished it was something a bit stronger, but she was deferring to Caia for now and knew the good stuff would be coming out once the children were all in bed. "It's just, we all go back there plenty. I don't see why they need more kids."

"Really, Cacie. Do you really think we were the only kids who needed saving all those years ago? We just managed to make an impression. Besides," she said, grabbing Acacia's hand and placing it on her belly where the baby was currently practicing a particularly good kick, "Baby will need playmates to harass her like we did Aiko. No sense in depriving the poor thing of the wonderful childhood we had."

---------------------------

_Life is good_, Kero mused as she stretched luxuriously amid piles of warm, soft blankets, avoiding Eldan's sprawled limbs with practiced ease. _Warm blankets, warm man, and warm food if I want it. Sure beats a tent in a winter campaign. Not that I have to worry about ending up in a winter campaign anymore. Nope. Life is good._ She rolled her head on her pillow and stared out the window of their room to observe the whiteout conditions howling outside and snuggled further under the blankets. Her movements disturbed Eldan, who rolled over with a grumble and wrapped himself around her.

"Classes back on today?" His voice was rough with sleep and slightly slurred.

Kero angled her head towards the door where the faint shrieks of jubilant trainees were leaking through.

"Nope."

"Good." Eldan's voice dropped off at the end of the word as he drifted back towards sleep.

_Not a bad idea_, Kero thought and was letting herself drift back to sleep when someone pounding at the door of their cottage rudely awakened her. Unfortunately, her reflexes also awoke with her and she automatically reached for her sword with one hand while swinging with the fist of her other hand at her "assailant". Eldan grunted and rolled back over so his back was to her.

"Answer the door." The multiple layers of blankets pulled over his head muffled his voice. Kero made a face at his back before pulling back the blankets covering her legs, making sure to yank the covers off Eldan's feet while she was it. His muffled curse as the cold air met his toes alleviated some of her grumpiness, but it quickly returned with her own toes met the freezing wood of the floor. She hissed and hobbled towards the common area where she had left her slippers the night before and slipped them on with a sigh of relief. Then she wandered over to the door, scratching her head and yawning as the early morning visitor pounded again at the planks.

"What!"

"Take the brats!"

Kero jumped back as the fellow in snow flecked Whites fair tossed a pair of squabbling youngsters on the rug in front of the fire, then tossed in another youngster for good measure.

"Good luck, Herald-Captain! You're going to need it."

With that, he dashed away before Kero could ask any questions. The sounds of quiet prickled the instincts from raising five fractious little girls, and she caught the cup that came flying at her head without looking. She carefully closed the door, then looked up as Eldan came stumbling in from their room. He froze, regarding the fire-headed little girl standing before him and the twin boys who began squabbling again on the rug in front of the fire.

"Who are you?"

"Well, who are you?"

Eldan grinned at Kero. "This'll be fun."

Kero grinned back and grabbed one of the twin toddlers as he tried to bite her leg. "Oh, most definitely."


End file.
